Rocky View County will soon be home to a $118-million Walmart fulfilment centre, after the retail giant announced plans to serve its western Canadian customer base from the Calgary area.
An Alberta government press release announced on March 21 that Walmart will be building a 430,000-square-foot, high-tech fulfilment centre in the Balzac area.
The fulfillment centre is slated to be opened this September and will bring 325 permanent jobs. The facility will serve as a delivery hub for all of Walmart's western Canadian shipping.
In an interview with Great West Media, Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer said the project is good news for Alberta's economy and will contribute to a growing logistics hub in the Calgary area.
"It's great news and diversifies the Alberta economy," Schweitzer said. "We're building on a foundation of logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, aviation – all these pieces together are positioning the Calgary region to become a logistics hub for western Canada."
Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt said Walmart's investment will help revitalize the region's economy.
"This area is already a hub for many major distribution centres and we are pleased to welcome Walmart's expanded operations," Pitt said in a statement. "This project will not only create short-term jobs while under construction, but will also generate long-term employment opportunities for area residents."
Once operational, the fulfillment centre is expected to be capable of shopping 20 million items annually and will be able to store 500,000 items for direct-to-home shipping and in-store pickup.
The Balzac industrial area is already home to several warehouses for other corporate giants such as Amazon and Lowes Canada. Schweitzer said given the advantages in the area, it makes sense that Walmart would seek to build their distribution centre there, also.
"When you take a look at the geography of western Canada, particularly with where Calgary is located – the rail lines, the workforce, the availability of affordable real estate – it's just tailor-made to be a western Canadian distribution hub," Schweitzer said. "That's what we're seeing come to fruition with these investments."
In the government's press release, Horacio Barbeito, the president and CEO of Walmart Canada, said the facility will improve the company's supply chain in the region.
"We are tremendously proud to be investing in a new fulfillment centre in the Calgary area that will create jobs, boost the economy and deliver quicker service for our customers," Barbeito said.
"This modern facility will provide our associates with the latest logistics technology to improve our supply chain. That means more products available, more orders fulfilled and more Canadians offered two-day shipping."
This new centre will increase two-day shipping availability to 61 per cent of Canadian customers, according to the press release.
Additionally, the facility plans to use robotic warehouse technology from fulfillment logistics company GreyOrange.
These technologies will assist employees in helping to sort, pick and store products and items.
—With files from Scott Strasser
