Meet Ginger, one of the 4-legged companions that make working at Chewy a ball

Chewy’s Tennessee fulfillment center in Wilson County is a 700,000-square-foot facility packed with eye-catching technology, like wheeling robots that grab all sorts of pet products on silver storage racks to be placed on more than 5 miles of conveyor belts.

Amid the machinery is a mixed-breed rescue dog named Ginger, who on this weekday morning prances around on a leash accompanied by her two-legged companion, Rachel Parker, who works in the online pet food retailer's human resources department.

While Parker works, Ginger hangs out in a dog bed. Together, they also enjoy periodic walks at the massive facility.

“I would say more people know my dog than me,” Parker said, half joking.

Ginger represents part of the culture that Chewy hopes will lead to the hiring of 1,200 employees at the e-commerce facility. Located on Couchville Pike near Interstate 840, Chewy shipped its first orders from the site in late May.

The dog perk allows employees who work in the office portion of the fulfillment center the opportunity to bring a pet — provided certain requirements are met, such as updated vaccine records and proof of flea and tick treatment. Pet parents are responsible for their dogs at work. They typically remain in office spaces.

Chewy's commitment to local pet organizations

Chewy also partners with area shelters and rescues, including the Nashville Humane Association and the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, on periodic activities such as donation drives and adoption events.

“It’s a nice way to kind of build camaraderie among our team members and make sure pets are core to our every day here at Chewy,” said Meaghan Quinn, senior public relations manager.

Chewy’s emphasis on technology also fits into the effort to attract more workers and increase the potential workforce by limiting physical stress in a challenging work environment.

“The only time the team member has to lift the entire customer order is when we put it on the truck,” said Catie Hydeman, the company's vice president of fulfillment operations.

Economic development executive impressed by Chewy hires despite 'tight labor market'

Population, real estate and the ability to speed deliveries to states in the Southeast region were reasons Chewy picked Wilson County for its first fulfillment center in Tennessee.

Chewy has hired more than 400 workers as of mid-June. Reaching 1,200 employees would put Chewy among the largest fulfillment and distribution center users in Wilson County, said Corey Johns, executive director of the Joint Economic and Community Development Board of Wilson County.

Thermo Fisher Scientific recently announced plans to hire 1,400 workers.

The speed in which Chewy has reached the number of employees hired, along with the diversity "in a tight labor market," are noteworthy, Johns said, along with the technology and robotics.

Chewy estimates several hundred-thousand shipments per week will come from the Wilson County fulfillment center as staffing increases.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Chewy's fulfillment center: High tech, 1,200 jobs, 4-legged co-workers