Ross Stores promises 850 new jobs at $450 million warehouse near Greensboro, NC

One of the nation’s largest discount department store chains has committed to build a $450 million, 852-worker warehouse in North Carolina’s Randolph County.

Ross Stores, the California-based company behind Ross Dress for Less, says these warehouse positions will pay an average wage of $55,800 at the future facility 20 miles south of Greensboro in the small city of Randleman.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Economic Investment Committee awarded Ross a job development investment grant, or JDIG, worth up to $7.6 million in payroll tax benefits should the company meet hiring and investment targets. Additional state incentives include $1.7 million in community college job training for Ross, $1 million from the General Assembly, and $500,000 from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. County and local governments have offered the retailer nearly $40 million in further incentives.

Under the grant, Ross has pledged to invest $450 million at the warehouse by the end of 2026 and reach its initial hiring target by 2028.

“Projects like these are a testament to the collaborative efforts of our state’s General Assembly, local officials, and economic development professionals,” state Rep. Brian Biggs said in a statement.

State officials Tuesday estimated every dollar North Carolina invests in the projected 1.7 million-square-foot facility will return more than $1.60 in state revenue. However, most projects that have received JDIGs over the program’s 21-year history never hit their initial hiring or investment goals. Payments through JDIGs are allocated only if recipients remain in compliance with their grants.

Ross is an S&P 500 company with a market cap of more than $46 billion. Its planned Randolph County warehouse would be its ninth distribution facility, providing fulfillment, packing and warehousing operations for the southeastern United States.