A celebratory groundbreaking ceremony took place this morning to mark the commencement of construction on an 800,000-square-foot AutoZone warehouse and distribution center located in New Kent County off State Route 106 (Emmaus Church Road). The distribution center will be the first tenant to locate in the 1600-acre industrial-zoned New Kent City Center.

Governor Glenn Youngkin, who announced in February 2022 that AutoZone, Inc., the nation’s leading auto parts retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories, would invest $185.2 million and bring 352 jobs to New Kent, was on-hand today to lead the celebration. Youngkin spoke briefly about AutoZone, the company’s commitment to the community, and of the distribution facility itself, a direct import facility. “And where else should it be? Nowhere. It should be right here in New Kent County,” he said. “AutoZone has 145 stores across the Commonwealth. But they also have 735 stores in neighboring states that will all interact with this distribution center. They’ll benefit from the resources of the tremendous workforce from the growth that will, in fact, be seen here.”

In February Chairman of the New Kent County Board of Supervisors Thomas Evelyn said, “AutoZone and its representatives have proven to be premier business partners to the New Kent County team, and we are especially thankful for the 352 full-time employment positions that will be created within the County. The addition of a Fortune 500 company to our community is a game changer and we look forward to a robust future as New Kent County continues to grow.”

Also in attendance to celebrate the groundbreaking were AutoZone Chairman, President and CEO Bill Rhodes, several red-shirted “AutoZoners,” New Kent Board of Supervisors, and county staff, along with New Kent representatives Congressman Rob Wittman, Senator Tommy Norment, Delegate Scott Wyatt and Delegate Amanda Batten.

With construction to begin next month, the project is estimated to be completed by mid-2025.