Catawba Co. Lands Target Distribution Center, 580 Jobs; Knightdale Store Opens Sunday

Aslo Friday, Target said it would open three new stores, including one on Highway 64 in Kinightdale, across North Carolina on Sunday. The other stores are in Charlotte and Kernersville.

Target will invest at least $90 million in building the center over the next five years. Construction is scheduled to begin in July of 2007.

If Target meets job creation totals, the company will receive Job Development Investment Grants from the state of North Carolina worth $4.4 million over 10 years, Easley's office said.

"Target's decision to expand its operations with a distribution center in North Carolina is a testament to our No. 1 ranked business climate and highly skilled workforce," Easley said. "We will continue to make the necessary investments in education, workforce development and infrastructure that make our state the best choice for companies that are expanding or relocating."

Target operates 1,444 stores in 47 states. Of those, 47 are in North Carolina. The company already has 7,500 full- and part-time workers in the state. "The new Newton distribution facility will help us better serve existing stores and prepare for future growth," said Mitch Stover, Target's senior vice president of distribution services. "The location will be a beneficial one because of the transportation infrastructure, high-quality workforce and quality of life that North Carolina has to offer."