More than 1,000 new jobs are on the way as Macy’s Inc., a mid-to-high range department store, announced its decision to locate a new $150 million fulfillment distribution center in Berkeley County, West Virginia. The US chain department store plans to hire approximately 1,200 full and part-time employees, as well as 700 temporary seasonal positions once the project is completed. The distribution center is slated to be built in Cumbo Yard Business and Industrial Park. The construction on the new 1.3 million-square-foot facility is expected to commence in the spring of 2011 and will begin to operate in April 2012. The shipments will be ordered starting in the summer of 2012.

Stephen Christian, Berkeley County Development Authority Executive Director, said that the investment plan of Macy’s will bring a positive impact to their community and at the same time support the company’s continued online business growth. He added that the project marks the single largest job-creation project of his career.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin disclosed that the latest development project clearly proves that West Virginia is becoming a very attractive and competitive location for businesses that want to expand or build new facilities. “Our financial condition is one of the top in the country, and we’ve been this way for several years now. One of the things business look at when they are looking for places to expand or do new facilities is the tax situation. We are very pleased in West Virginia that for the past 16 years, we have not had to have a general tax increase at all. We have been able to live within our budget.”