It’s expected to create up to 500 jobs.
Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick County will be home to a major employment center. The Kroger Company and its partner Ocado Solutions say they plan to open a high tech fulfillment center at 7106 Geoffrey Way at the Dudrow Business Park. . The facility is an automated warehouse which will use digital and robotic technology to deliver groceries to customers in the Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia areas.
County Executive Jan Gardner made that announcement on Thursday: “I’m thrilled Kroger and Ocado will bring to life a currently vacant facility, {and} will add up to 500 new jobs,” she said. .
The company says the facility will have 350,000 square feet, and become operational 24-months after groundbreaking.
“Kroger is incredibly excited to construct one of our industry-leading Customer Fulfillment Centers in Maryland in relationship with Ocado to bring fresh food to our customers faster than before,” says Robert Clark, Kroger’s senior vice president of supply chain, manufacturing and outsourcing, in a statement. “Through our strategic partnership, we are engineering a model for the region, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience.”
“We are excited to bring Kroger and Ocado’s latest automated warehouse to Frederick. This site will be key to delivering amazing grocery experiences to households across Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. It will create fantastic job opportunities for engineers working alongside state-of-the-art robotics and automation,” say Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions, in a statement.
Kroger is America’s largest grocery retailer.
By Kevin McManus