Construction of what will be the largest industrial site in DeKalb County is underway.

Nestle Corporation began construction on its largest distribution center on Fairview Drive between Peace Road and Fourth Street in June.

“We’re on schedule,” said Nestle Project Manager Jim D’Amico. “We have 35 percent completed.”

He said workers are at the mass grading or leveling off the land in preparation for construction stage. “In total, we have between 850,000 and a million cubic yards of dirt to move.”

Roger Hopkins, executive director of DeKalb Economic Corporation, said Pepper Construction was named as general contractor to the project two weeks ago.

Standing at 27 acres under one roof and 850,000 square feet in all, the distribution center will be the largest of eight being built by the Nestle Corporation. “It will also be DeKalb’s largest tax generator,” Hopkins said.

Nestle officials said the $30 million center is expected to employ 130 workers.

Hopkins said only time will tell whether other companies will move to the DeKalb area because of Nestle’s decision to build its distribution center here.

“A number of companies are considering moving to the area, but as of now, none have decided to,” he said. “Fall and wintertime is when most companies make decisions like this.”

The projected finish date of the Nestle Distribution Center is June 1993. The facility also is expected to be in full operation at that time.