Governor Perdue Participates in Board Cutting for Lowndes County Home Depot Distribution Center

VALDOSTA – Governor Sonny Perdue joined The Home Depot CEO Frank Blake at the opening of the company’s 657,000 sq. ft. Rapid Deployment Center in Lowndes County. Governor Perdue and Mr. Blake toured the facility Thursday and joined local officials in a unique Home Depot board-cutting ceremony. The world’s largest home improvement retailer will create several hundred jobs in office and warehouse positions over the next few years at the site.

“I’m proud to have one of Georgia’s largest and most admired companies invest in our state. It shows that we’re not just a great place to get started, but also a great place to grow,” said Governor Perdue. “Our strong business climate and strength in logistics continues to attract top-tier retailers like The Home Depot.”

The distribution center is located on 89 acres in the Lake Park Industrial Park and will serve approximately 150 Home Depot retail stores throughout the southeast.

Commissioner Ken Stewart of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and other state and local officials joined the Lowndes County Industrial Authority and officials of The Home Depot at the facility for the grand opening.

“The Home Depot is pleased to create additional jobs in our home state of Georgia,” said Chris Falcon, General Manager of The Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center. “I’ve been impressed with the quality of talent that we have found in this region, which has helped us get this facility up and running on time.”

The Home Depot offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k, a discounted stock purchase plan, and its Success Sharing bonus program for eligible full- and part-time associates.

This site is part of a larger program to transform the Home Depot supply chain, making it easier for Home Depot stores to keep the right products in stock when consumers need them.

The Valdosta/Lowndes County region has been awarded a top three designation as a location for new industry by Site Selection Magazine. The site is convenient to several major highways and is backed by tremendous government and development support.

About The Home Depot

The Home Depot^® is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with more than 2,200 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. In fiscal 2007, The Home Depot had sales of $77.3 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $4.2 billion. The Company employs approximately 350,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

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