DECATUR — More good jobs are being delivered to Decatur with the news that shipping giant FedEx Ground is locating a new 317,000-square-foot distribution center in the city.
The facility is being readied at the intersection of North Brush College and Mound roads and will be operational by October, FedEx confirmed to the Herald & Review on Monday.
The company said the distribution center will have 65 employees, with 50 of those jobs being package-handler positions. Recruiting for jobs is already underway and other staff sought include operations coordinators and administrators.
“The new facility will employ a mix of full- and part-time team members, and recruiting is underway for jobs at the new facility,” said FedEx spokesman David Westrick.
Job hunters can check out the positions available by going to fedexgroundjobs.com and searching with the word “Decatur” to get details of the new positions, work requirements and qualifications/experience needed.
“In addition to competitive wages and a flexible schedule, FedEx Ground offers benefits including medical, dental, vision, paid time off and parental leave, as well as tuition reimbursement after a minimum threshold of service,” added Westrick.
And he said the available jobs don’t stop with those immediately associated with the facility. “The company will also contract for package pickup and delivery services with service provider businesses that hire locally for driver, helper, manager and other positions,” Westrick explained.
FedEx says it chose Decatur for its new development because of ease of access to major highways and proximity to customers’ distribution centers.
“And a strong local community workforce for recruiting employees,” said Westrick.
Nicole Bateman, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County, welcomed the arrival of FedEx Ground and hopes it could spur other firms to follow suit.
“I definitely think it will attract more attention to Decatur and Central Illinois as a location for distribution and logistics,” she said. “You can reach a third of the nation’s population in a one-day truck drive from Decatur.”
Bateman said Decatur’s central location as a major transport hub left it poised to take advantage of distribution companies’ desire to move products ever-faster on roads not snarled with heavy city traffic.
“Decatur is just really primed to take advantage of that,” she added.
The FedEx facility is within view of Cardinal Warehouse, another warehousing project led by The Atkins Group. This facility, which will employ up to 75 people, is located at 4250 North Commercial Crossing.
The FedEx job news comes hot on the heels of another major recent development with the announcement that Archer Daniels Midland Co. is partnering with South Korean firm LG Chem in two joint ventures based in Decatur.
These are expected to generate more than 125 new jobs plus construction work. Bateman has pointed out that economic studies show that for every 10 manufacturing jobs like this created in Illinois, another 17 spring up in the wider economy to service and support them.
Article written by Tony Reid, Herald & Review, 8-29-22