ROME: Lowe's to bring 600 jobs to North Ga. | Business

ROME, Ga. -- The Lowe's chain of home improvement stores is bringing a new 1.4 million square foot distribution center to Northwest Georgia.

Gov. Nathan Deal attended a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning in Rome. Brian Robinson said Lowe's is set to place a new distribution facility there that will eventually mean 600 new jobs for the area.

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The Deal administration called the announcement "the largest job-creation project for the state" since the governor took office in January.

"Georgia's logistics and workforce advantages help make us exactly the right place for Lowe's to be," said Deal in a statement. "Companies draw from their past experiences when deciding where to locate, so I'm pleased Lowe's experiences with its other facilities here have been positive and helped contribute to its success throughout the Southeast."

Georgia's jobless rate is 10.1 percent, above the national average of 9.1 percent.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's recently acquired 140 acres of property in the North Floyd Industrial Park near the intersection of Georgia Highways 53 and 140.  The center, which will service Lowe's stores in western Georgia, northern Florida and Alabama, joins Lowe's three other warehouse and distribution facilities in Georgia, one in Valdosta, one in Palmetto and one in Savannah. The center is expected to open in early 2013.