From The Archives: Target distribution center brings jobs to East Texas

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) – In this From the Archives report from 1997, we go back to when the Target distribution center brought jobs to East Texas.

Despite a gray and rainy day, officials from Target and East Texas held a groundbreaking for the distribution center.

“A little bit of rain in East Texas is not going to slow us down,” a Target official said.

At the time, Tyler was in competition with Waco to be the recipient of the massive distribution center.

“We had a group of about 20 people at the [Tyler Economic Development Council] offices in Downtown Tyler. And we received a call from Target, we were on pins and needles waiting for that call,” A Tyler official said.

The distribution center built off of the I-20 near Lindale was made to serve 120 Target stores in Texas, as well as four other states, and it created hundreds of jobs for East Texans.

“Initially we expect to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 [jobs] when we open next summer. Ultimately, in the years 2001 and 2002 we will have about 900,” one official said.

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