UPDATE: DHL to lay off 511 employees at Greenfield warehouse as Walmart takes over

Third-party logistics provider DHL Supply Chain says it will no longer run a Walmart Stores Inc. warehouse and distribution center in Greenfield as of May 4, but it’s hopeful that the site’s 511 employees can transition into new jobs at the same site.

DHL, whose North American headquarters is in the Columbus suburb of Westerville, Ohio, currently runs operations at the facility at 6719 W. County Road 350N, north of Interstate 70 in the Mount Comfort area. On Friday, DHL notified Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development that it will terminate all of the site’s employees because Walmart intends to take over operation of the facility.

“This is a situation where the customer (Walmart) has made a decision to take that business back in-house,” said Lynn Anderson, vice president of communications for DHL Supply Chain.

Employees will have the chance to apply for similar jobs with Walmart, Anderson said. A Walmart spokesman confirmed to IBJ on Friday afternoon that all DHL employees currently at the facility would have an opportunity to transition to Walmart.

"Walmart is currently working through a hiring and selection process with the employees who worked at the facility," said spokesman Ryan Curell. "We hope those who work in this facility would like to become part of the Walmart family. … We hope these employees want to join us because we’ll need them at this facility."

Curell said he couldn't share details related to how Walmart's pay would compare to DHL's, but "Walmart offers a very competitive wage within our supply chain buildings."

Some DHL employees may also have a chance to transfer into jobs at other DHL locations, Anderson said. DHL’s operations in Indiana include sites in Plainfield and Fort Wayne. 

“We’re hopeful that ultimately there won’t be a net job loss,” Anderson said.

Walmart did not immediately respond Friday morning to IBJ's request for comment.