This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The board of the Governor's Office of Economic Development on Friday approved a $4.3 million incentive for Family Dollar Stores Inc., which wants to build an $80 million warehouse-distribution facility in St. George that eventually could employ as many as 450 workers.

The Utah facility will be the 11th for the North Carolina-based company, which operates more than 7,100 stores nationwide, including 61 in Utah.

David Styka, Family Dollar's vice president of finance, said the company was attracted to Utah because of the quality of the work force.

"You can put a lot of numbers on property, but the people are what really matters," he said.

Family Dollar plans to break ground on its 800,000-square-foot facility in the F. Pierce Industrial Park in St. George this summer and expects to begin operations in mid-2013.

The state's $4.3 million incentive to Family Dollar will be handed out incrementally in the form of a tax credit over the next 20 years and is contingent upon the company adding the promised 450 jobs to the Utah economy in that time period.

Family Dollar said it expects to hire close to 350 employees within the first few years and intends to begin the process in spring 2013 in preparation for the facility's opening.

The new jobs will all include full health and retirement benefits.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said in a statement that Family Dollar's decision to expand in Washington County further enhances the state's reputation as a premier logistics and distribution center.

The first Family Dollar store was opened in 1959. For its 2011 fiscal year that ended August 31, 2011, the company recorded revenue of $8.5 billion and net income of $388 million.

Twitter: @OberbeckBiz —

Incentive details

Who • Family Dollar Stores Inc. receives a $4.3 million incentive from the state

For what • An $80 million, 800,000-square-foot warehouse-distribution facility

Where • St. George

Expected opening • Spring 2013

Number of employees • 450 hired over a 20-year-period