FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., is building a new 400,000 square foot distribution hub on a 150-acre site at the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park in Ocala, Florida. The FedEx Ground hub is expected to open in August 2016, with more than 350 employees and create more than $170 million in capital investment in the community.

The location at NW 35th Avenue, which abuts I-75 and is just off of US Highway 27, will complement the operations of an existing hub in Orlando. In addition to adding new jobs, the hub will absorb the local pickup and delivery operations from an existing FedEx Ground facility in Ocala, which currently employs approximately 90 people. The new hub will feature advanced automated material handling technology designed to initially process 15,000 packages per hour, with the capacity to process 45,000 packages per hour if fully expanded.

“This project, as well as a 300,000-square-foot facility south of Orlando, demonstrates our continued growth in the Florida and Southeast markets,” said Bob Holcombe, FedEx Ground Regional Vice President. “The site’s ease of access to major highways, proximity to customers’ distribution centers and a strong local community workforce makes it an ideal location for such an important facility in our network.”

FedEx Ground’s enhancements to its network are designed to boost daily package volume capacity and further enhance the speed and service capabilities of the company. They have resulted in accelerating ground service delivery across the country, making FedEx Ground faster to more overall locations, including more residential locations.

Governor Rick Scott said, “FedEx Ground’s decision to grow in Ocala and create jobs is great news for Florida families. I knew when I toured the location in the spring of 2013 that Ocala would be the perfect fit for FedEx Ground, and we continued working hard to help deliver this win for area families. Florida has added more than 715,000 private-sector jobs since December 2010 and the state unemployment rate has fallen to 5.8 percent. We will keep working to create a job for every Floridian who wants one.”

Secretary of Commerce and President/CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. Gray Swoope said, “Florida’s strong infrastructure and large workforce make it a great location for FedEx Ground. The state’s roadways, air and seaports not only support more than 19 million residents, but almost 100 million visitors annually. We thank FedEx Ground for their commitment to the state and look forward to their continued growth across Florida.”

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “FedEx Ground will create opportunities for families in Marion County. Florida’s advanced transportation infrastructure makes our state the perfect place for FedEx Ground to establish a distribution hub. Governor Scott and the Department of Economic Opportunity are committed to creating jobs and opportunities for Florida families, and we look forward to seeing FedEx continue to thrive here in Florida.”

Chairman of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership Doug Cone said, “FedEx’s decision to locate a major ground hub facility in Marion County speaks volumes to our geographic desirability to this world class company and others like it. I personally believe that there will be a tremendous ‘Halo Effect’ in that FedEx’s current vendors and other logistics-oriented companies will be coming to our area for the same reasons. This company is a proven economic driver and wonderful corporate citizen in every community in which it does business.”