Home Depot to Bring 700 Jobs to Kennesaw

Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that The Home Depot will open a $24 million national customer service call center in Kennesaw, bringing nearly 700 new jobs to the area.

Recruiting for the new positions begins in early 2012 with the call center expected to be fully operational by late 2012, according to a release from the governor's office.

The company, which intends to lease space in the Chastain Meadows office park, plans to initially hire more than 400 associates but expects to expand to 700 positions by 2015. This adds to the nearly 20,000 associates The Home Depot currently employs in the metro Atlanta area. In Georgia alone, it operates 90 stores, its store support center and a Rapid Deployment Center that brought 400 jobs to Lowndes County two years ago. 

According to the Marietta Daily Journal, Cobb's Development Authority approved tax breaks of about $2.2 million for the company today to lure the project, which had used the name “Project Joseph” throughout negotiations.

“The Home Depot is a great Georgia success story, and this announcement of significant job creation adds to the company’s well-established track record of creating meaningful work opportunities for Georgians,” Deal said.

“Having a corporate headquarters such as The Home Depot based in Cobb County is a significant selling point when recruiting new businesses and bringing jobs to our county,” said Chairman Tim Lee. “When that same company decides to expand its operations by bringing hundreds of new jobs to Cobb, it sets the tone for Cobb's future as the best place to grow business in the Southeast.”

“The Cobb community is very proud to be able to continue to support existing businesses such as The Home Depot,” said Brooks Mathis, vice president of economic development for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. “With more than 700 jobs, our citizens are sure to benefit from this wonderful announcement."

“We’re thrilled that our hometown will play such a critical role in supporting our online business and our interconnected retail strategy, which allows customers to connect and shop whenever, wherever and however they want,” said Hal Lawton, president of e-commerce with The Home Depot.

The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,246 retail stores worldwide. The company currently employs more than 300,000 people.

Check back in with Patch as we'll have more information on the new call center and how to apply for a position.