Recommendation: select a space in the Lone Star State that completes orders quickly after a call is placed and balances non-refrigerated throughput with scalable space. A facility designed for high-throughput without refrigeration can still handle a steady flow, while enabling service stability across a three-shift model. Prioritize a layout that reduces travel between docks and staging areas and supports rapid opening windows, with strategic considerations for workflow.
Operational footprint includes three primary zones: receiving, non-refrigerated storage, and staging. Target a facility with at least 100,000–250,000 cubic feet of usable space; plan for a dock that supports three lanes and a clear approach for rapid cross-dock flows. In practice, a mid-size site near andrews and carolina corridors completes the shortest path between loading bays and product staging, faster than other layouts.
Operational tempo: time buffers and opening windows matter. When a store order is received, a streamlined sequence begins, and completion should occur within a short time frame. For each link in the chain, a three-shift model maintains coverage, and call and data integrations keep the chain responsive.
strategic alignment with regional carriers boosts support and streamlines outbound service. The layout emphasizes a cold zone next to high-demand items, while non-refrigerated storage remains flexible to absorb peak volumes. A clear cubic footprint supports scalable buffers, ensuring three-to-four times the base flow can be accommodated without sacrificing speed.
In short, choose a hub with completed workflows, strong field support, and a plan that adapts when expansion is needed–from a single site to a regional footprint. Such a setup completes the chain with reliability and a clear opening to growth across andrews and carolina corridors.
Dollar General Distribution Center Texas: Locations, Milestones, and Recommended Reading
Recommendation: anchor the plan around three centers across the state, targeting Andrews county, Lockwood area, and Owen county. Build a growing distribution network with permanent operations and a flexible temporary team to cover seasonal spikes and prevent delays. Align the project with a realistic dollar budget for expansion and a clear path to scale.
Opened in 2008, the first center spans 800,000 square feet on 200 acres. An expansion in 2014 added 600,000 square feet on 120 acres. By 2019, another expansion delivered 1.2 million square feet across 150 acres.
The Andrews site covers 250 acres and about 1.2 million square feet of storage; the Owen center spans 120 acres, and the Lockwood facility sits on 180 acres, forming a three-node network that feeds a regional distribution flow.
Operationally, permanent support structures are paired with flexible temporary staffing to handle peak demand. The strategy reduces delays by aligning inbound and outbound shipments with the rail and trucking chain, keeping the rock‑solid network active and resilient. The strategic layout aims for a streamlined flow that supports a growing footprint without sacrificing speed.
Recommended reading: project briefs, additional county records from andrews, owen, and lockwood, and industry reports detailing site layouts, traffic modeling, and expansion timelines. When reviewing materials, focus on timeframes, permitting milestones, and the sequence that led to each opened milestone in the three counties.
From a governance perspective, the dollar impact sits within a growing network of centers; the companys generals designed a plan to open permanent facilities, with a phased expansion designed to avoid delays. This approach is designed, with clear milestones, to outperform the prior footprint and deliver steady support for the surrounding communities across acres and feet.
Texas DC Locations: Site list, access routes, and proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth & Houston
Recommendation: Choose a non-refrigerated facility along the I-35E/I-45 corridor to support growing demand, from Dallas to Houston, and save a dollar per mile while cutting time in transit and boosting work efficiency.
Site A in Tarrant County, near the Dallas line, designed for full deployment with roughly 1.2 million square feet of storage, 48 dock doors, and yards totaling about 3 acres to support peak work. Each yard uses segmented lanes to speed cross-dock flows, and the cubic capacity exceeds 1.2 million cubic feet to accommodate seasonal volume.
Site B in Dallas County near the I-20/I-45 exchange covers about 900,000 square feet, with 36 doors and a 2-acre yard; a quick dive into route data shows easy access to I-35E and SH-114 for downstream distribution.
Access routes include I-20, I-35E, I-45, and SH-114; from central Dallas, expect 45–60 minutes of drive time, while Houston is roughly 4–5 hours away, depending on traffic. The arrangement supports full logistic operations along the corridor and aligns with a contracted workflow.
Proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is measured at about 25–50 miles for Site A and approximately 70–90 miles for Site B; to Houston the spread is about 250–280 miles, enabling fewer long-haul legs and a leaner fleet for last-mile service.
In comparison with nebraska options, these Texas hubs shorten the chain by thousands of miles, reducing the dollar impact per mile and enabling a more efficient fleet with fewer stops under a single contract. The Andrews option is under review, with a potential newnam site earmarked for an expansion plan that could scale to multi-line volumes. When growing, the generals of supply chain planning emphasize a rock-solid design and a phased approach to keep costs predictable.
An announcement notes that the first phase completes by Q3, enabling a larger-scale layout and more robust support for the supply chain. If demand continues to grow, a temporary test layout could be deployed to verify the approach before committing to a long-term plan.
Overall, this setup keeps Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston markets within reach, with repeatable time savings and robust yard operations designed to withstand peak cycles and maintain service levels across the network.
Facility Specs: Size, layout, and dual-distribution design features
Recommendation: pursue a 1.2 million sq ft footprint with a two-zone layout and modular bays to enable expansion and full use of vertical storage. This same approach boosts throughput, tightens time in the dock-to-store cycle, and strengthens the network when seasonal demand spikes. A spring opened pilot will validate the plan; a single point of contact will coordinate with the companys leadership across the project facilities.
Layout features dual-channel flow: front-end receiving with three inbound bays and a parallel transfer path for rapid triage, plus back-end storage with high-density racking. A three-aisle main corridor leads to a three-point transfer node, reducing dwell time from inbound to outbound. This supports a full product mix, from frozen items to non-cold lines, and ties into markets in nebraska and washington county via the planned network. reading county operations connect to a broader route map. A data-driven dive into pick paths informs layout tuning.
Storage specifics: the plan allocates 60% ambient, 25% frozen, 15% refrigerated. Racking uses multi-level high-density bays (3–4 tiers) with mezzanines adding about 250,000 sq ft of overflow. A 12-door cross-zone dock layout accelerates inbound and outbound handling, enabling full use of the 1.2 million sq ft footprint and allowing three expansion steps without disrupting daily flow.
Timeline and governance: a three-phase project, with stage-one opened in spring. A transportation contract will cover over-the-road and local moves; a regular call cadence aligns companys leadership with generals across the reading network.
Construction Timeline: Milestones from groundbreaking to completion
Coordinate a three-phase opening with fixed time targets, fresh zones for cold and non-refrigerated storage, and a south-facing dock layout to streamline the logistics network. Each milestone should deliver measurable outputs and a bounded budget in dollars, with fewer change orders and a same-day release plan for product handling. Reading the plan against actuals helps the companys team keep pace; the owen design team designed the shell and the yards meet a permanent footprint. The open site aligns with a newnam naming scheme to simplify training.
- Milestone 1 – Groundbreaking and site prep: Timeframe 6–8 weeks. Actions: clearing, rock removal, grading, utility trenching between 5 and 10 feet deep, temporary power, and perimeter fencing. Output: a stable pad and fresh staging areas in the south yard, ready to receive the permanent frame.
- Milestone 2 – Shell and foundations: Timeframe 10–12 weeks. Actions: foundation pour, rock bed stabilization, structural steel erection, exterior walls, roof deck; zones for cold and non-refrigerated storage are designed with weather-tight seams; target is to reach a permanent shell that can hold the next phase.
- Milestone 3 – MEP rough-ins and zone insulation: Timeframe 12–16 weeks. Actions: electrical, plumbing, HVAC rough-ins; refrigeration lines for cold areas; dedicated service corridors; between zones kept separate; same alignment with docks and yard access; reading of system performance data used for tuning.
- Milestone 4 – Interior fit-out and storage systems: Timeframe 8–12 weeks. Actions: racking installation, product release area, packing and staging zones; storage spaces configured for both fresh and non-refrigerated product; owen team coordinates with the companys staff; three zones of storage ensure fewer cross-traffic issues.
- Milestone 5 – Exterior works, dock readiness and fleet access: Timeframe 4–6 weeks. Actions: paving of yards, dock platforms, door seals, truck fleet access routes; south entry for main flow; yard markings and loading docks tested; ready for the first inbound/outbound cycles.
- Milestone 6 – Commissioning and opening: Timeframe 3–4 weeks. Actions: system commissioning, safety and training, reading of performance data, final safety sign-off; product release processes validated; site opened for limited operations before a full-scale opening.
Supply Chain Impact: Lead times, inventory levels, and carrier integration
Recommendation: Deploy a single, real-time visibility layer that connects with transportation partners via API and EDI within 30 days, cutting lead times by 20–30% and stabilizing inventory at the point of sale.
Lead times by SKU: fresh items typically arrive 2–4 days after order; frozen 5–9 days; ambient 3–6 days. With targeted expansion of cross-dock operations at opened yards, you can drop cold-chain replenishment from 7–10 days to 4–7 days, delivering fewer stockouts for these categories.
Inventory levels: set service goals at 98% for fresh and cold lines; reduce safety stock by 12–18% after forecast accuracy improves. Implement weekly cycle counts and use regional hubs in county clusters to minimize waste and carry cost in warm periods. Teams should dive into forecast data weekly to tighten safety stock.
Carrier integration: standardize dock appointments and ASN with all carriers; replace multiple handoffs with a unified handoff at a single point, speeding transfers and lowering dock dwell. Include partners in lockwood and nearby counties; use temporary contingencies to reroute shipments during weather events. Implement a washington and carolina–focused disruption plan, with a structured call cadence to the primary carriers.
Expansion strategy: place two new strategic yards near high-demand counties to support rising volumes. These moves growing the footprint will boost service in fresh and frozen lanes; fewer touches and shorter routes yield faster turns than before. When capacity tightens, the network in washington and carolina regions can be tapped via temporary re-allocations without long lead times.
Call to action: start a two-site pilot, monitor lead times, service levels, and carrier on-time performance; align with finance on a quarterly view to quantify savings and justify further expansion.
Recommended Reading: Key Dive Brief and Dive Insight articles and links
Recommendation: Begin with Dive Brief’s report on a new multi-site footprint in the southern state; it notes a 1.2 million ft2 initiative adding non-refrigerated and frozen handling capacity. The spring rollout spans 28 acres and completes in the next quarter, with 36 feet clearance and 8 dock doors per building.
Dive Insight offers fleet routing between county lines, noting a newnam designation that slots into the companys network.
Practical steps: pull additional data, map spring milestones, refine your schedule, and assess impact on asset utilization and cost.
| Article | Focus | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Dive Brief: Southern footprint expansion | 1.2M ft2 initiative; non-refrigerated and frozen handling; spring rollout; 36 feet clearance; 8 dock doors | Dive Brief article |
| Dive Insight: Fleet routing across county lines | newnam designation; companys network integration; cross-county moves | Dive Insight article |
