Ross Stores recently chose Randleman in Randolph County as the location for a Southeastern distribution center with the potential for more than 850 jobs, in part because of the labor force in the region.
The Fortune 500 company, whose plans Gov. Roy Cooper announced May 28, operates two off-price chains including Ross Dress for Less, the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the U.S.
The planned 1.7 million square-foot facility on 330 acres will be the company’s ninth distribution center, used for warehousing, fulfillment, packing and crating of retail apparel, accessories and home goods, according to the N.C. Commerce Department.
The facility’s planned location is right off Interstate 73, within Randleman’s jurisdiction but outside the main city area, said Crystal Gettys , business recruitment director at Randolph County, NC Economic Development Corporation . The proximity to the interstate was another draw for the company, she said.
Ross Stores expects to invest $450 million in the project by the end of 2026 and create more than 850 jobs from 2027 through 2031, according to the Commerce Department.
The average annual wage for the positions will be $45,806, compared to the Randolph County average wage of $45,801, the Commerce Department said.
The Commerce Department listed key project drivers as Ross Stores’ two existing distribution centers in South Carolina, as well as eligibility and availability of state and local incentives.
The company conducted a labor analysis of the Piedmont Triad region and found the area had enough of a labor force to accommodate its needs, Gettys said. The community college system in the state was also “attractive,” she said.
It was a competitive process to secure the spot, Gettys said, with 10 other sites in consideration.
Laurens County, South Carolina, was the other finalist location, according to the Commerce Department, and the government entities there offered incentives including state grants, an employee payroll rebate package, employee training and state tax credit.
Randolph County and the City of Randleman offered the company a cash grant incentive over a 15-year period, combined to total almost $38 million, Gettys said. The company will have to meet performance measures to secure the award, she said.
The county also conveyed 30 acres to the company of the 330 total for the new facility as an incentive, she said.
The state approved a Job Development Investment Grant that would use new tax revenue to potentially reimburse the company up to $7.6 million over 12 years. That’s contingent on the company meeting incremental job creation and investment targets.
The company was also offered incentives of training at the nearby Randolph Community College and workforce solutions grants valued at $1.7 million each, according to the Commerce Department.
Because the total award is higher than the grant statute’s general maximum ratio of withholdings, the state economic investment committee approved a special finding to pass the grant in its meeting May 28.
The N.C. Department of Transportation also pitched in a grant for road improvements valued at $500,000, the Commerce Department said.
Those improvements could include an intersection, turning lane and some signaling for roads surrounding the facility, according to Jonathan Rand , public information officer for the Transportation Department.
Asked whether housing and infrastructure is a concern with a potential incoming workforce, Gettys said traffic should go directly from the interstate to the facility, so the city shouldn’t be significantly impacted by extra traffic.
While “housing is always a challenge,” Randleman and nearby communities have plans for potential housing developments, she said.
More people commute out of the community than into it, Gettys said, so hopefully the new facility will bring more jobs back into the area. Randleman is located in northern Randolph County, between Greensboro and Asheboro.
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