Mankato, Minn. – September 3, 2014 – Today, Congressman Tim Walz met with Walmart general manager Mark Carlson to discuss recent construction developments to the Mankato Walmart Distribution Center. The facility, located at the intersection of North Victory Drive and Blue Earth County Road 12, will distribute perishable food to Walmart stores in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and Wisconsin and is slated to open in spring 2015. During their meeting, Representative Walz and Carlson also discussed Mankato’s recent economic growth in both the retail and industrial sectors.
“This new Distribution Center means opportunity and prosperity for southern Minnesota,” said Congressman Tim Walz. “This is the vision we had when we built this interchange, which was the spark that lit the economic fuse for our region. The interchange gave Wal-Mart and others the certainty they needed to invest in our community and create good-paying jobs here in Mankato. I’m pleased to be here today and proud to have played a small role in creating a more prosperous Mankato.”
Distribution Center general manger Mark Carlson is Walmart associate with more than 20 years of experience. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Carlson began his career at the Walmart Distribution Center in Menomonee, Wisconsin and has held positions within the company as a supervisor, manager and operational manager.
“We’re counting down the days until the distribution center’s grand opening and look forward to continuing our partnership with the City of Mankato,” said Mark Carlson, Walmart general manager. “We look forward to better serving our customers by decreasing the distance from farm to shelf and providing healthy, affordable produce to Walmart shoppers across the Midwest.”
The Mankato Distribution Center will be part of a network of 112 Walmart distribution centers that service the merchandise needs for more than 4,100 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations across the U.S. The local facility will employ approximately 300 associates. In Minnesota, Wal-Mart employs more than 21,000 associates at 82 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs across the state.
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