BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart is continuing its focus on Alabama and the possibilities that the South has to offer. The retailer has announced that its new 2.5-million-square-feet distribution center is on schedule for its opening next year, with more expansions on the way in the state.

In addition to its Mobile County distribution facility, which is slated to become one of Walmart’s bigger properties in the U.S., the retailer has announced a new multimillion-dollar capital campaign. According to AL.com, Walmart will remodel seven locations in Alabama:

• Mobile
• Tuscaloosa
• Brewton
• Enterprise
• Northport
• Alexander City
• Guntersville

Walmart is also looking to boost its Walmart academies. Alabama already hosts three.

"We'll be investing in training that our associates receive," said Senior Manager Erica Jones, commenting that these will be part of the 120 opened in the U.S. with a goal of 200 by the end of the year. "The academy program is a result of that."

These new acadamies are a part of training operation enhancements that began in 2015, and will build off of the company's $135 million investment in its new distribution center. The facility will be the sixth of its kind in the country, with 550 jobs planned to support a logistical hub serving 800 stores from Alabama to the Great Lakes.

The timeline remains unchanged, Walmart said, with the intention to post for senior-level positions, such as operations managers and area managers, starting this month or in early July. The goal is to have a full leadership team this fall, with the full facility opened and fully-operational next year.

What strategic regions will Walmart focus on next? AndNowUKnow will have the latest.

Walmart