NASHVILLE, TENN. — The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced July 20 that Chewy, Inc. has chosen Wilson County as the location for its next fulfillment center.

The online pet retail company will construct a new regional fulfillment facility in Mt. Juliet at the intersection of Couchville Pike and Maddox Road. The center is expected to open in fall of 2022 and will create roughly 1,200 new jobs in the area.

“We’re thrilled to open our newest fulfillment center here in Wilson County, Chewy’s first in the state and fourteenth in the country,” said Pete Krillies, vice president of real estate, facilities and procurement at Chewy. “We appreciate the partnership with the State of Tennessee, Wilson County and the Joint Economic and Community Board of Wilson County to launch this facility. We look forward to investing in the local community through the creation of 1,200 new jobs. This new location will also extend our fulfillment network in the southeast region, allowing us to provide even faster delivery to more than 19 million active customers around the country.”

“At 1,200 jobs, Chewy will become one of the top three largest employers in Wilson County,” noted Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the TNECD.

Chewy, a leading e-commerce pet retailer headquartered in Dania Beach, Fla. and Boston, Mass., was founded in 2011 and has since grown to offer more than 2,000 brands of pet nutrition products, supplies and prescription products. According to the company’s website, it currently operates more than 7 million square feet of order fulfillment and warehousing space across the United States.

The retailer recounted its growth upon celebrating its 10^th anniversary in June. Today, Chewy employs more than 18,000 people nationwide and serves 19 million active customers. It posted $7.25 billion in annual revenue in 2020.

“Wilson County has seen tremendous job growth in the last few years as companies continue to relocate and expand in the region,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Chewy’s decision to locate its newest e-fulfillment operations in Tennessee underscores our state’s pro-business climate and skilled workforce. These 1,200 new jobs will have a significant impact on Wilson County, and I appreciate Chewy for choosing Tennessee.”

According to TNECD, more than 80% of new jobs in Wilson County since 2020 have stemmed from developments through transportation, distribution and logistics companies. The county is within 650 miles of half of the United States population, and its one-day trucking distance reaches 75% of markets in the United States, the department stated.

“Tennessee is primed for Chewy’s newest e-fulfillment center thanks to the combination of our ideal geographic location and strong transportation infrastructure,” commented Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the TNECD. “At 1,200 jobs, Chewy will become one of the top three largest employers in Wilson County. We congratulate Chewy on its success and welcome the company to Tennessee.”

Additionally, Chewy appointed James Nelson, chief executive officer of Global Net Lease, Inc., to its board of directors on July 19, expanding the board from 12 to 13 directors.

Nelson has led Global Net Lease, a publicly traded real estate investment fund, since July 2017, previously serving as director of the company since March 2017. Nelson will sit on Chewy’s board of directors for roughly two years, until the company’s annual stockholders meeting in 2023.

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