GROVELAND, Fla. – The mayor of Groveland took to social media Thursday to address the closure of Kroger’s fulfillment center, saying he’s “heartsick” for the 1,400 employees who work at the facility.
Kroger announced earlier this week it would close three of its delivery fulfillment facilities, including one in Groveland. Officials from the company did not say when the facility will close, but said delivery service would end Feb. 1, 2026.
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The city of Groveland released a statement about the center’s closure, saying in part that there are approximately 1,400 Kroger employees at the facility, “many of whom are Groveland residents.”
“Each and every one of us knows someone who works in that facility, so for us, it’s personal. Please know we’re actively working with local, county and regional organizations to ensure these folks have every available resource,” Mayor Keith Keogh wrote on social media.
In July 2019, Kroger announced the groundbreaking for the company’s $55 million, 375,000-square-foot customer fulfillment center.
Kroger partnered with British grocery technology company Ocado Group in 2018 to build warehouses where robots would pick and pack grocery delivery orders. Initially, the companies planned 20 locations, but only eight have been built so far.
In the post, Keogh broke down how Kroger fit into the city’s incentive package when it was signed in 2019. Read the full statement below:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.