J. C. Penney Company, Inc. will open a 436,000 square-foot cross-dock logistics center in Lathrop, Calif. The operation will occupy an existing building at 700 D'Arcy Parkway in the Crossroads Commerce Center. Its primary function will be to receive and sort imported merchandise for routing to JCPenney's Store Support Centers across the country.
Modifications to the building and installation of equipment are expected to begin in May, and the facility is expected to be operational in early August. Hiring of approximately 100 staff is expected to begin in early July.
“With over 1,000 stores and approximately 150 stores opening in the next three years, we need additional capacity in our logistics network to service the growth of our business,” said Jim LaBounty, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management. “The Lathrop cross-dock facility will also allow us to route inbound goods through the Port of Oakland. We expect the added capacity and port diversification will help us reduce transportation time for our direct imports and support the Company's long-range growth plans. We look forward to becoming part of the community in Lathrop.”
JC Penney's current logistics network includes similar cross-dock facilities in Buena Park, Calif.; Statesville, N.C.; Alliance, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; and North Bergen, N.J. The Company also operates a network of 13 regional Store Support Centers, each servicing 80 to 125 stores; four Direct Distribution Centers, fulfilling orders for catalog and jcp.com customers; and four Retail Furniture Distribution Centers.
