On Tuesday, Academy Sports + Outdoors held its official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new distribution facility in Cookeville. Gov. Haslam and Commissioner Boyd were in attendance as well as local leaders from Putnam County and Academy Sports + Outdoors leadership. The event marked the end of a two-year long project that has brought the largest distribution center in the state of Tennessee to Putnam County.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for Academy Sports + Outdoors, as bringing this distribution facility online is a tremendous accomplishment that is the result of many years of hard work, dedication and planning by countless Academy team members, along with the many city, county, state and other local officials,” Academy Sports + Outdoors President and CEO, J.K. Symancyk said.
Academy Sports + Outdoors announced in 2014 its plans to invest $100 million for its new distribution center and create 700 jobs in Cookeville over the next five years. The construction of the distribution center began in 2014 and was completed earlier this year. The facility is now fully operational and the company has already hired around 350 workers. The 1.6 million square foot distribution center is located near the Highlands Industrial Business Park in Putnam County and is on over 200 acres. With this facility, the company plans to support its network of stores throughout the Midwest along with its growing e-commerce business.
