Lowe's selected Charlotte, N.C., as the location for the home improvement retailer's 2,000-employee global technology center, according to the Charlotte Observer. The retailer had also been considering Dallas, Texas, for the site of its tech hub. Workers at the campus will focus on making technology in house for the retailer as well as helping Lowe's build out its logistic capabilities and supply chain.

Lowe’s will be hiring for a number of roles, including software and infrastructure engineers, data scientists, analysts, architects, user experience and user interface professionals, and technologists with artificial intelligence and machine learning engineering experience, the company said.

Marvin Ellison took over as CEO almost exactly one year ago. In recent months, Ellison has said Lowe’s is in the early stages of a major overhaul, which includes revamping stores, improving product inventory, shutting down under-performing business units and improving IT.

“One of the first observations I made when I joined the company is that we really needed to accelerate our investment in tech,” Ellison said. “There are two characteristics of great retailers: A clear and consistent view of who customer is ... a great tech platform.”

The new facility in South End will modernize Lowe’s technology system, driving the company’s growth forward, Lowe’s said.

Earlier in 2019, Lowe's announced plans to hire 65,000 employees ahead of the spring season. The retailer also pledged to refocus its efforts engaging the pro customer market segment. In the company's first quarter earnings report, the retailer reported improvement in pro sales and engagement, achieved by addressing out-of-stock issues and inventory presentation, improving store-level service, staffing the Lowe's Pro desk with dedicated associates, deploying department supervisors at all pro areas, and redesigning its field structure to recruit leaders to focus on in-store and outside pro sales. The retailer is also partnering with FedEx to pilot the FedEx SameDay Bot, a delivery robot designed to improve time efficiency for same-day material orders and delivery.

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