600 new Dayton jobs? Chewy says it might create twice as many.

Pet retailer Chewy is opening a new fulfillment center at the Dayton International Airport that officials originally said would bring about 600 new jobs.

But a member of Chewy’s executive team told this newspaper the company could create twice as many jobs in coming years.

PHOTOS: Huge Chewy warehouse under construction in Dayton

“With the ramp up we’re going to have with this building, that number could double in the first three years,” Pete Krillies, Chewy’s vice president of real estate and facilities.

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Chewy is going to occupy a 690,500-square-foot building at the airport that is under construction. Chewy expects to move in by the end of June.

Krillies said the new building has the capacity for around 1,500 workers. He said his company should know more about employment plans for the facility within the first year of operation.

New jobs will include everything from material handling to office administration to forklift operators and skilled positions, Krillies said.

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The new facility will be Chewy’s Midwest hub, which will help the company achieve its goal of getting packages to customers within 48 hours of placing the order, Krillies said.

Chewy’s stands out from the competition because of its major focus on customer service and culture, Krillies said.

The 7-year-old company has been growing quickly, and Dayton’s facility will be its eighth fulfillment center in the nation. The company was purchased by PetSmart in 2017.

Krillies said Chewy chose Dayton in large part because of its location. But the city was one of four finalists under consideration, and Dayton’s culture, labor force and local partnerships between economic agencies and organizations made it rise above the rest, he said.

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