Walmart plans to invest $1.3 billion in a highly automated, 1.5 million square foot fulfillment center in Carnesville, Georgia, a Franklin County city of fewer than 1,000 residents about 85 miles northeast of Atlanta. Governor Brian Kemp announced the project August 27, 2026, saying it is expected to create 1,000 jobs at the Franklin 85 Logistics Center, with construction slated to begin in late 2026.

A Rural Site for Walmart’s Next Generation Network

Kemp announced the deal while on an economic development mission in South America, framing it as an investment that will not only create new, good paying jobs for hardworking Georgians but let them work close to home rather than commuting to a larger city. Walmart has not detailed the facility’s construction specifics, but the project was announced jointly with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority, Georgia EMC, and Georgia Quick Start.

What “Next Generation” Means on the Warehouse Floor

Walmart’s next-generation fulfillment centers are built around automation that compresses a traditionally 12-step manual fulfillment process into roughly five automated steps: unloading, receiving, picking, packing, and shipping. Reporting on the format has tied it to Knapp’s Evo Shuttle storage and retrieval system, capable of storing nearly 2 million containers in a single facility, which Knapp says can hold ten times as many SKUs as a traditional fulfillment center with order lead times as short as 30 minutes. Walmart integrates that system with technology from Symbotic, Packsize, and Ranpak through its proprietary Control Services platform, an orchestration layer that lets the retailer connect multiple vendors’ automation without building separate integrations for each one. Walmart U.S. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Karisa Sprague said the investment will help the company deliver the speed, convenience and reliability customers count on.

One of Several Next Generation Facilities Nationwide

Carnesville joins a growing list of next-generation Walmart fulfillment centers already operating or under development in Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with a center in California expected to open later this year. The company has also proposed a similarly sized, 1.5 million square foot facility in Wallkill, New York, filed with the town in July 2026 as a regional e-commerce distribution hub. Walmart already operates 11 supply chain facilities across Georgia, including a 300,000 square foot dairy processing plant in Valdosta that opened in 2024, alongside 209 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores statewide.

Part of Georgia’s Broader Run of Megaprojects

The Carnesville announcement lands amid a string of large economic development wins for Georgia. We covered the groundbreaking of Hyundai’s Metaplant, a Bryan County electric vehicle campus that has grown into a multibillion-dollar manufacturing hub near Savannah, and more recently the $17 billion Google data center advancing in Columbia County. On the logistics side specifically, we tracked the groundbreaking of the GICC industrial park near Savannah, a 6.5 million square foot, 12-building complex built around access to the Port of Savannah. Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said the Walmart project is about more than 1,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in investment, tying it to the state’s broader push to bring large-scale development into rural counties rather than concentrating it around Atlanta and Savannah.

What Hasn’t Been Disclosed Yet

Several project details remain unannounced. Walmart has not named a general contractor, architect, or engineering firm for the Carnesville facility, nor has it published a target opening date beyond a late 2026 construction start. It is also unclear how much of the $1.3 billion figure covers the building itself versus the automation systems, equipment, and site infrastructure that typically make up a large share of next-generation fulfillment center costs.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: Walmart Carnesville Fulfillment Center (Franklin 85 Logistics Center)
• Location: Carnesville, Franklin County, Georgia, about 85 miles northeast of Atlanta
• Project Value: $1.3 billion
• Client/Developer: Walmart Inc.
• Key Components: 1.5 million square foot highly automated fulfillment center; automation reported to include Knapp’s Evo Shuttle storage and retrieval system, Symbotic, Packsize, and Ranpak, integrated through Walmart’s Control Services platform
• Jobs: 1,000 new jobs expected
• Site: Franklin 85 Logistics Center, Carnesville
• Construction Start: Expected late 2026
• Expected Completion: Not disclosed
• Local Partners: Georgia Department of Economic Development; Franklin County Industrial Building Authority; Georgia EMC; Georgia Quick Start

Project Team

• Developer/Owner: Walmart Inc.
• State Partner: Georgia Department of Economic Development
• Local Partner: Franklin County Industrial Building Authority
• Utility Partner: Georgia EMC
• Workforce Partner: Georgia Quick Start