Walmart has opened a case-ready facility in Georgia as part of its new Angus beef supply chain. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp joined Walmart executives to celebrate the opening of the company’s 201,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility in Thomasville, Ga. Walmart began construction in August 2018 on the facility, which is operated by FPL Food and brings more than 200 jobs to Georgia.

Applauding the creation of 200 jobs, Kemp said, “Walmart has a long history in Georgia, I am thrilled that the company selected Thomasville as the location for this facility. It’s a vote of confidence in our state, in the south Georgia region and the Thomasville community and great news for those employees and their families.”

Walmart has been working to enhance the quality of its food offerings, and the meat department has been at the forefront of this effort. The company has taken the next step in this journey by creating an end-to-end Angus beef supply chain. The new facility will distribute a selection of Angus beef cuts like steaks and roasts from the new supply chain to 500 Walmart stores in the Southeast, including Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

“Our new Angus beef supply chain is a perfect example of Walmart’s dedication to bringing customers high-quality food at a great price,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president of meat at Walmart U.S. “By enlisting a number of top companies to take part in our Angus beef supply chain, including FPL Food, which operates the facility we’re proud to open today, we’ll be able to provide customers with unprecedented transparency throughout the supply chain and leverage the learning we gain across our business.”

In addition to FPL Food, Walmart is working with best-in-class suppliers on its Angus beef supply chain. This includes Texas rancher Bob McClaren of Prime Pursuits, who is helping source cattle raised on family farms and ranches, Mc6 Cattle Feeders on feed and Creekstone Farms on processing.

In conjunction with the opening of this facility, Walmart has awarded a $7,500 grant to the Georgia Wildlife Federation, a $2,500 grant to the Thomasville Police Force and a $2,500 grant to Second Harvest of south Georgia.

“When a company of Walmart’s size and scope comes to our community and brings hundreds of steady jobs, we welcome their investment,” said Shelley Zorn with the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce. “We, in Thomasville, are excited to have this opportunity to work with Walmart and are thrilled for the impact this facility will have on our local community.”