Ross picks Randleman site for 1.7M square-foot distribution center

RANDLEMAN — Randolph County has landed another major development that promises a huge investment in the county and more than 850 new jobs.

On the heels of two major megasite announcements in recent years promising nearly 7,000 new jobs in Randolph County (Toyota battery manufacturing in Liberty) or just on the outside the county (Wolfspeed on the border of Randolph and Chatham) comes last week’s reveal that Ross Stores, Inc. will build a 1.7 million square foot distribution center in Randleman.

The facility will be built on a 330-plus-acre site just off I-74 and US 311, the ninth such distribution center for Ross. The decision came after a year-long site selection process and due diligence. 

Over the course of five years, Ross anticipates investing at least $450 million in real and personal property and creating at least 852 new jobs paying above the average county wage. That average wage in Randolph, according to the Randolph County EDC, is $45,801.

The distribution center should one operational by 2027.

Site consultants J.M. Mullis, Inc. conducted extensive labor analysis determining that the Piedmont Triad area had the necessary labor market, which was one of the deciding factors in their site selection. 

Approximately 170 acres of the site was under an options agreement with Samet Corporation, which was working with the city, county and EDC to develop it into a marketable industrial park. With the collaborative efforts of the Randolph County EDC and Samet Corporation, the additional acreage needed for the project was secured from adjacent property owners to create the 330-acre site. 

The City of Randleman and Randolph County collectively offered over $38.6 million in local incentives to be paid over a 15-year period to encourage Ross to select Randolph County for its distribution facility. In addition to local incentives, Randolph County will also convey 30 acres of county owned property in the park to Ross which has a value of over $1 million. 

Ross has been approved for more than $11 million in various state grants and training funds including a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). Additionally, the General Assembly and NCDOT will collectively provide $1.5 million in project-related road improvements. 

In 2022, Randolph County was awarded collectively $1.8 million from NC Department of Commerce-IDF Grant and the Golden Leaf Foundation to help offset infrastructure improvements to serve the initial 170-acre proposed industrial park.

“We are excited about the opportunity to build out a new distribution facility in North Carolins to support our growth initiatives over the long term,” said Rob Kummerer, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain, Ross Stores, Inc. “We value the collaboration of the many state and local leaders, including the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Department of Commerce, and the officials in the city of Randleman and Randolph County who have been instrumental in bringing these plans to fruition” 

“The City of Randleman welcomes our new partner Ross Stores. Ross Stores offers many opportunities with a positive economic impact and minimal disruption to the ‘Randleman family way of life’ we treasure,” Randleman Mayor Gary Betts said. “Many thanks to Randolph EDC, Randolph County, the State of North Carolina, Samet Corporation, the Mullis Group, and the City of Randleman for the  collaborative efforts to make this project a reality. We look forward to our partnership with a community minded Ross Stores.”

1.7M square feet? How big is that?

Ross Stores, Inc. plans to build a 1.7 million-square-foot facility in Randleman.

Just how big is that?

These probably won’t help you wrap your head around that number, but here are some other large local venues in the area to give you a feel for space.

- The NC Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame holds about 20,000 square feet of places and memorabilia.

- Linbrook Hall in Trinity has some 40,000 square feet of heated space.

- A typical Super Walmart store runs about 180,000 square feet.

- The Greensboro Coliseum has 61,920 square feet but the complex as a whole — including a 167,000 square foot Special Events Center and other buildings — clocks in at around 300,000 square feet.

- The two large former Klaussner buildings that Schwarz Properties just purchased combined make up about 400,000 square feet.

- At 57,600 square feet per football field (counting the end zones), you could fit nearly 30 football fields in 1.7 million square feet of space.