Supply Chain sustainability

Ace Hardware Plans to Rework East Coast Distribution Network

Ace Hardware is restructuring its East Coast DC system. While the move is including a close of some large warehouses, the plan is to build a new 1.1 million square foot facility. The new Retail Support Center in Fredericksburg, PA will service retail stores in the Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, New Jersey and D.C. areas.

The restructuring, to take place over the next two years, comes after an analysis of their DC network and a desire to grow aggressively over the next few years. They are “augmenting our distribution capabilities to be faster, nimbler and stronger than ever before,” says Lori Bossman, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain, Inventory Replenishment and Retail Support for Ace Hardware.

The closures heavily effect the distribution subsidiary Emery-Waterhouse, which Ace bought in 2014 to serve it’s independent outlets in the Northeast. However, the services the subsidiary are just being reworked to fit in the new DC plan. The headquarters will continue to remain in Portland, ME and positions at the company are expected to evolve in the next to years.

Companies are feeling the pressure to update their systems and utilize new technologies that help them stay competitive in the industry. For a look at where the industry is going and what technologies are arising that are game changers, you can check out the 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report and the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling and Logistics 2.0.

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