Kroger has agreed to give back to Lake County $460,000 for economic incentives now that the grocery chain has announced plans to pull out of its Groveland fulfillment center.

County Commission Chairwoman Leslie Campione texted Style Magazine Friday with the news saying she had just gotten word of the agreement from the county attorney.

She said the money “had been provided as incentives for job creation and capital investment in Lake County and the money will be wired to the county’s general fund in the immediate future. A portion of that money will be used to provide job training and placement assistance to employees who have lost their jobs with Kroger and a portion will be allocated to transportation improvements in Lake County.”

County Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to seek a total of $1.3 million.

Kroger is paying back 100 percent of its obligation. The rest is owed by British grocery company Ocada, according to county spokesman Jeff Foley.

Kroger began its warehouse work at its home-delivery center in 2018. The shutdown is causing 1,400 employees to lose their jobs statewide, with more than 900 of those in Lake County.

On Nov. 18, Kroger put out a press release with the headline: “Kroger Evolves eCommerce Offerings to Improve the Customer Experience, Drive Profitable Sales Growth.”

Part of that “improvement” was the closing of the Groveland operation and ones in Wisconsin and Maryland.

The company said “updates” will result in an operating profit of $400 million in 2026.

It admitted, “The company expects to incur impairment and related charges in the third fiscal quarter of 2025 of approximately $2.6 billion as a result of these closures and the automated fulfillment network not meeting financial expectations.”

The county is working with the state unemployment office, Lake Tech and Lake-Sumter State College to provide training for displaced workers.