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Industry NEWS

orgill cuts rubbon at rome, ny
distribution centre

During the first week of August, Orgill
welcomed hundreds of customers, vendors
and local dignitaries to Rome, New York, to
celebrate, tour and take part in the official
ribbon cutting ceremony marking the grand
opening of its newest distribution centre
(DC).
“We enjoyed the opportunity to have so
many of our customers and vendor partners
on hand so they could get a first-hand look
at the Rome DC, see the investments we
are making in our distribution network and
have the opportunity to meet our team,”
says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and
CEO. “This milestone in our growth is distribution centre, joining existing facilities a new role for tech support at the facility,
only possible because of our customers’ in Tifton, Georgia; Inwood, West Virginia; according to Randy Williams, Orgill’s
continued growth and our vendor partners’ Sikeston, Missouri; Kilgore, Texas; Post executive vice president of distribution.
continued support.” Falls, Idaho; Hurricane, Utah; and London, “This role is new to our company but
During the two-day event, Orgill offered Ontario. so important in our overall operations,”
guests tours of the new 780,000-square- This facility effectively doubles Orgill’s Williams says. “They will ensure that
foot, state-of-the-art facility, hosted a distribution capacity within the region the facility finds ways to use technology
vendor meeting and invited guests to a and will serve customers throughout New to enhance the overall operations and
reception and dinner to thank them for their York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, interactions with customers. The creation
support. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island of this position is an important step for
“We thought it would be nice to and northeastern Pennsylvania. us as we continue to look for ways we can
combine the grand opening with a bit of a In addition to augmenting Orgill’s harness technology through all aspects of
celebration. It’s been such a long time since distribution capacity, the facility will also our operation to create efficiencies, improve
we’ve had so many of our customers and provide the Mohawk Valley area with customer service and better fulfill our
vendors together in one place,” says Greg more than 225 additional jobs when fully mission.”
Stine, Orgill’s executive vice president of operational. This economic benefit was Other innovations in distribution
marketing and communications. “It was a mentioned several times during the official technology and design that Orgill
lot of fun for all of us to host this event.” ribbon-cutting events. Local and regional showcased during the grand opening
“I think we also need to recognize our officials were on hand for the ceremony. ceremony included the latest in voice
team who made this opening happen. They Mark Scanlon, Orgill’s vice president of picking systems, a space-maximizing very-
did a fantastic job. We broke ground here in Northeast distribution, says the facility and narrow-aisle (VNA) layout and a new, multi-
April right when the pandemic started and its team will play an integral role in helping tiered conveyor system.
there was also incredibly high demand for improve Orgill’s entire distribution network All of these features are designed to
home improvement products that was really capacity. create efficiencies for the distribution
stressing the entire distribution network. “We have been able to hire a great team team and ultimately reduce friction in
So we challenged everyone working on this of managers and supervisors that bring a lot receiving, picking and fulfilling customer
project and asked if there was any way we of experience in distribution, transportation orders, according to Williams. “Technology,
could get it done faster than our original and warehouse management to our team,” innovation and capacity are all factors
schedule, and everyone answered the call,” Scanlon says. “When you combine the that drive our distribution efficiencies at a
adds Moore. added capacity that Rome brings to our facility like Rome, but ultimately, all of these
In fact, Orgill’s Rome DC was completed distribution network, the leading-edge best investments are designed to help us better
faster than any other facility in the practices we built into the DC and the high- serve our customers and help them make
company’s modern history. And while those calibre team members we have brought in, their businesses more successful,” Williams
present for the grand opening might not the bottom line is that Orgill will be better says.
have gotten to witness how the distribution able to serve its customers.” The opening of the Rome distribution
centre came together, they were clearly Of the employees working out of the centre is just the latest step in Orgill’s
impressed with the end results. Rome facility, there will be at least one commitment to expand and enhance its
The Rome site is Orgill’s eighth “first” for Orgill, with the distributor creating distribution capabilities to stay ahead

16 LBMAO Reporter - July-August 2021 www.lbmao.on.ca