Big gets bigger

Polk County continues to build its case as the distribution center capital of Florida.

The latest proof comes from Walmart, which opened a massive, $150 million, 50-acre campus in Davenport, Polk County, July 18. Near Interstate 4 and U.S. 27, the complex is the sixth Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Campus in the Walmart network and the first in Florida, according to a statement. It features two buildings that span more than 2.2 million square feet. There are already 500 employees working there, and Walmart officials say they plan to hire at least 1,000 more people over the next year.

Like its giant competitor in e-commerce, Amazon, which also has a facility in Polk County, Walmart designed the Davenport facility to be the distribution hub of the future. It will house millions of items there, say company officials. “It is the latest addition to the next-generation fulfillment network Walmart is building to support its rapidly growing e-commerce business,” officials say in the statement.