Target Corporation announced earlier this year it planned to add hundreds of jobs at its DeKalb distribution center. As of the end of May, the company is well on its way to that goal.
The DeKalb facility is being converted into what Target calls an upstream distribution center. That means it serves other, regional distribution centers “downstream” in the supply chain. It will be just one of three in the country. Mike Milano is senior director of distribution at the DeKalb center. He says the expanded facility now serves a wide territory.
“We’re supporting over 600 stores now, from Minnesota down to Texas, west out to Iowa and east to Ohio,” he says.
Milano says additional workers are needed to handle the increased volume. As part of the expansion, Target announced in January it would add around 450 full-time, permanent positions at the DeKalb center. Milano says the company has held a couple of hiring events, and is on track to meet that promise.
“We’re about 55-60 percent of our total hiring objective, which we expect to achieve probably by the first part of August,” he says.
Milano says the company's been pleased by the quality of the hires. He says it speaks to the potential of the area's job pool.
Milano says there will be more hiring events, on June 7 and in mid-July. After the expansion is finished, the center will employ more than 800 people in a variety of jobs.
