Dec 1, 2004 11:36 AM, from staff and wire reports

Publix Super Markets plans to build a distribution facility on an 87-acre parcel of land in Punta Gorda FL. This new perishable warehouse and distribution facility will generate hundreds of jobs for local workers.

At a recent ceremony, Florida Gov Jeb Bush thanked Publix for its interest in creating high-value jobs and making a substantial capital investment in Charlotte County after damage the community sustained from recent storms.

The Punta Gorda facility should be about 600,000 square feet and will accommodate frozen food, dairy, boxed meat, and produce. Publix plans for this facility to service its western and southwestern Florida stores, supplementing the company’s perishable warehouses in Lakeland FL.

Owned and operated by its 127,500 employees, Publix currently has 842 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee.