Major retailer opens new high-tech California facility, creating hundreds of jobs

Walmart has opened a new-high-tech fulfillment center in Stockton, California.

The new 900,000 square-foot facility will allow Walmart to fulfill online orders and move packages throughout the West Coast faster. The center will create more than 1,000 new jobs, including tech-focused positions, the company said.

“We want to be part of the community, not just an employer in the community. We’re integrated here, the associates, the leadership team,” Barat Smith, vice president of operations for Walmart’s next-generation fulfillment network, told KCRA.

“They live here. They work here. Their kids go to school here. So it’s not just about being an employer. We want to be deeply ingrained in the community and the grants that we give.

“That’s just a part of what we do. A big part of what we do is volunteer, right? So we volunteer in these places. We give back to our community in more ways than just monetary.”

The Stockton facility is the latest addition to Walmart’s “next generation” of fulfillment centers that feature an automated, “high-density storage and retrieval system” that simplifies a manual, 12-step process down to five steps.

Walmart says the technology will double the storage capacity and the number of customer orders Walmart can fulfill in a day, expanding next-day and two-day shipping customers.

Fulfillment centers like the one in Stockton allow Walmart to reach 95% of the country with next-day and two-day shipping.

“The new Stockton facility is another great example of how Walmart is people-led and tech-powered. It’s an investment in technology that will pave the way for good jobs and great careers for our associates,” said Maren Waggoner, senior vice president, End-to-End People Operations at Walmart U.S said in a press release.

“I look forward to seeing the positive impact this facility will have on the Central Valley community, creating new opportunities to work with cutting edge technology and lasting career growth with Walmart.”

The company also distributed $10,000 in grants to the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton and Unbound Stockton Community School.

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