CHINA GROVE, N.C.—Macy’s Inc. announced plans Thursday to build a distribution and online order fulfillment center in central North Carolina that ultimately will employ about 2,800 people. The department store and online retail giant said in a news release that it will invest $584 million in the project in China Grove, located in Rowan County, 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Charlotte. The logistics center and warehouse operations, which will open in 2024, will provide automated services for orders to be shipped directly to consumers, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said. The center will handle 30 percent of Macy’s digital supply chain capacity when fully operational, the company said. New York-based Macy’s had narrowed potential center sites to North Carolina and South Carolina, according to a document provided by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “This state-of-the-art facility … will support growth of our business as a leading omnichannel …