Lowe’s picks Coopertown for $100 million center

Lowe’s said Thursday it will locate a new $100 million direct fulfillment center that will add 600 jobs in Coopertown, northwest of Nashville.

Lowe’s direct fulfillment center will cover some 1.1 million square feet — the equivalent of 22 football fields under one roof. Plans call for the facility to be operational by the third quarter of 2018, initially employing approximately 400 people and growing to 600 employees by 2022.

“Investing to build a new fulfillment center — the first of its kind for Lowe’s — allows us to offer customers more products online, consolidate multiple parcel shipments and ship purchases directly to customers faster and more efficiently,” said Brent Kirby, Lowe’s chief supply chain officer. “The Nashville area was chosen due to its existing large shipping hubs, access to interstate roadways and well-skilled workforce.”

Lowe’s, which is the second largest home improvement company in the world, joins more than 16,000 transportation, logistics and distribution establishments operating throughout Tennessee.

“Tennessee’s geographical location is in the heart of the U.S. with easy access to markets around the world, which makes our state the perfect location for a company like Lowe’s to locate its new fulfillment center,” said Randy Boyd, commissioner of economic and community development.