Already home to an Amazon fulfillment warehouse, Polk County will soon add a Walmart eCommerce fulfillment center. 

The new facility will house millions of items dedicated to fulfilling online orders and will enable faster shipping directly to customers or to stores for free pickup. 

Walmart calls the facility its latest addition to the next-generation fulfillment network to support its rapidly growing e-commerce business.

Gov. Rick Scott was on hand today to open the newest warehouse, which is located near the Interstate 4, Highway 27 intersection in the Davenport area.

The 50-acre campus, located near the intersection of I-4 and Highway 27 in Polk County, features two buildings spanning a total of more than 2.2 million sq. ft.

The campus employs more than 550 recently hired associates and there are plans to hire at least 1,000 more associates over the next year. These associates would join the more than 107,000 in the state currently working at Walmart’s stores, clubs and distribution centers.

"I was proud to celebrate the grand opening of Walmart’s new e-commerce fulfillment center which is helping to create 1,500 jobs for Florida families," Gov. Scott said. "Walmart could have chosen to open this new fulfillment center in any location, yet they know that Florida is the best place for them to grow their business and create new jobs. By cutting taxes and creating the new $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, we will create even more opportunities for Florida families."

Polk Commissioner Todd Datzler, also a member of the Polk Economic Development Counsel, stressed the county worked hard to get the facility built in Polk County, offering tax abatement incentives and expediting the approval process to get the center up and running quickly. 

"It's a big deal for all of Polk County," said Polk Co. Commissioner Todd Dantzler. "The northeast part of the county is our fastest growing population wise and the crossroads of 27 and I-4 that connects Daytona to Tampa and 27 connects Miami all the way to Tallahassee 

"So it's a great distribution site and we couldn't be happier that they’re here." 

With more than 600 permanent, full-time jobs and more than 1,000 seasonal positions, Dantzler said the benefits to the area are plentiful. 

"The jobs for one, the economic investment is another," he said. "And it just helps reconfirm the idea that Polk County is an incredible distribution hub in the state of Florida." 

Scott said the center is the result of creating a business-friendly environment in the state and added that more businesses are choosing Florida as a place to create and grow new jobs.