SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA. — Minneapolis-based General Mills will soon being developing a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center in Social Circle. The decision will bring 112 new jobs to this community 46 miles southeast of Atlanta. This is the second major General Mills property in Georgia; a manufacturing facility was built in Covington in 1989. The Covington facility recently underwent a $6 million overhaul to reduce the property’s water usage by 46 percent.
“General Mills is pleased to be growing our presence in Georgia with the new distribution center in Social Circle,” says Kevin Schoen, the company’s vice president for logistics, in a news release. “Our Covington team demonstrates day after day the dedication of Georgia employees.” No groundbreaking or completion dates have been set, but General Mills will begin hiring in early 2010.
The $42 million distribution property, which will be located on Hightower Road, will be built to LEED standards, paying close attention to the facility’s energy savings, water efficiency, emissions and indoor environmental quality. According to the state of Georgia, the new property will be one of the largest developments in the country to achieve LEED certification.
— Jon Ross