Pea Ridge, AR, is a beautiful little town renowned for lovely scenery and Civil War history. If local Planning Commissioners approve tomorrow, Pea Ridge will also be the site of a Walmart drone delivery hub.
The Walmart drone delivery hub will be the site of the drone delivery trials executed by Zipline International in partnership with Walmart. In an announcement about the project last September, Walmart SVP of Consumer Product, Tom Ward, described the project:
Zipline will operate from a Walmart store and can service a 50-mile radius, which is about the size of the state of Connecticut. And, not only does their launch and release system allow for quick on-demand delivery in under an hour, but it also eliminates carbon emissions, which lines up perfectly with our sustainability goals. The operation will likely begin early next year, and, if successful, we’ll look to expand.
Now, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports, a drone delivery launch hub in Pea Ridge has been identified. In a letter from Benoit Miquel, new deployments manager of Zipline International Inc., Zipline explains the project to the Pea Ridge Planning Commission.
“Earlier this year, Zipline and Walmart partnered to create a first-in-the nation drone delivery network that will enable Walmart to provide an increasing number of customers with fast, convenient access to health and wellness products,” the letter states. “After a significant search of Walmart stores across Northwest Arkansas, we would like to first launch this service at the Walmart Neighborhood Market located in Pea Ridge. We at Zipline are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Walmart and the City of Pea Ridge to bring safe, contactless, on-demand delivery options to local residents.”
…“In sum, we anticipate that the safe and world class innovation we aim to bring to Pea Ridge in partnership with Walmart will offer valuable economic activity and good jobs to the city, as well as be an inspiration to students and young people that all of us can be extremely proud of.”
The launch is planned for 2021, and Zipline has promised the town of Pea Ridge that they will open the facility for tours and STEM opportunities for local students. The lovely town of Pea Ridge may soon be known not only for their Civil War heritage but for the innovation honors of being the first Walmart drone delivery hub.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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