Frito-Lay distribution center to bring 50 jobs, $8 million investment to one of Alabama’s poorest citiesIn this Thursday, June 4, 2015, file photo, Lay's products, a PepsiCo brand, are displayed at a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in Bentonville, Ark. A new distribution center is expected to bring 50 new jobs to one of Alabama’s poorest cities by June 2025.
“This development underscores the economic vitality of our region and the strategic advantages we offer for logistics and distribution operations,” said Mobile Chamber president and CEO Bradley Byrne in a statement.According to a Chamber spokesperson, the project’s developer – McWhorter Property Management – was granted $94,000 in sales and use tax abatements. Frito-Lay did not receive any incentives for the project.
Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood, in a statement, said the new distribution center is approximately $8 million, which she said is a “significant capital investment” within Prichard. The investment comes to a city that has long struggled with declining population and low median incomes,According to 2020 Census figures, 31.5% of Prichard’s approximately 19,000 residents live below the poverty line. The city’s median household income is $29,009, which is far below the state average of $52,035, and the U.S. average of around $74,500.