GREENSBORO, N.C. - City council members unanimously approved an incentives package Tuesday night in hopes to persuade Publix to open a distribution center in East Greensboro.
If selected, the company would invest $400 million, creating 1,000 jobs over a number of years. In return, the city would offer Publix $17.7 million in incentives, plus $3 million to run water and sewer lines to the facility.
"Once Phase One is done, that is when these incentives kick in," explained Mayor Nancy Vaughan, "That means that Publix will have had to have built their building and hired their first 500 people, and have started paying those wages, all before they get their first incentives check."
Those distribution center jobs would have a median salary of $42,000, and according to the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, job candidates would not likely need special training: just a high school diploma and a willingness to work.
However, the city's main focus now is winning over Publix with the deal on the table.
"Our hope is that we have [offered the best deal we can]," said Brent Christensen, with the Chamber, "We know that we always have incredible competition - especially for a great projects like this. We know that we are going to be up against the very best, to our north and to our south."
Publix representatives have not said what other cities are offering incentives, however, they did say the company will make a decision toward the end of summer 2018.