KMART DISTRIBUTION CENTER A WELCOME EMPLOYER.(BUSINESS)

Byline: DANIELLE T. FURFARO Business writer

FLORIDA -- When Kmart Corp. opens its $120 million, 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in this small Montgomery County town late next year or early in 2003, the retailer will be sending more than just stockings, snow shovels and salad tongs to its stores.

It also will be distributing hundreds of jobs.

The center's opening will come at a crucial time for Montgomery County and neighboring Fulton and Schoharie counties, which consistently post higher unemployment rates than the Capital Region. The planned November closing of Gilford Mills Inc. in nearby Cobleskill -- and the loss of 527 jobs -- adds to the string of manufacturing shutdowns announced in recent months.

Kmart, based in Troy, Mich., is one of a handful of companies that in recent years have picked the Capital Region and nearby counties for massive distribution centers. Others include Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Johnstown) and Ace Hardware …