New Balance Athletics, Inc. will open the doors of a new, 165,000-square-foot distribution center in Earth City, MO. The center is part of an ongoing and growing investment that the Boston, MA-based and privately held company is making in the St. Louis area to support the rapid growth of its global e-commerce business.
The grand opening celebration featured a visit and remarks from President and CEO Rob DeMartini.
“New Balance is proud to make this significant investment in our eCommerce business and in the St. Louis area, which has become the center of our global eCommerce development,” said Rob DeMartini, President and CEO of New Balance. “The St. Louis Earth City Distribution Center is a symbol of our growth as a brand and a retailer and our drive to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of online consumers.”
The new facility, which employs 36 associates, will process up to 60,000 orders of footwear, apparel, and accessories each month for NewBalance.com consumers across the United States. Process and efficiency improvements will allow same-day order fulfillment for the majority of customers, which, combined with the facility’s centralized location, will support the rapid growth of the business and deliver premium New Balance products to consumers faster and more seamlessly than ever before.
“The selection of Earth City for our new facility was based on a combination of benefits offered by the location, including the ability to retain our talented and experienced staff from our former location in Fenton, MO, which we had outgrown,” said Kevin Holian, VP of Global Value Chain for New Balance. “Our passionate and dedicated associates combined with sophisticated new warehouse management software and automated material handling equipment will give this team the ability to meet consumer demand for years to come.”
The St. Louis area has been the home of New Balance.com since 1990, when newbalance.com was founded and operated by the Deck family. In 2008, New Balance Athletics, Inc. acquired the website and since that time, the business has grown exponentially. Approximately 200 associates are now employed in the Sunset Hills office, supporting the brand’s website that attracts more than 100,000 consumer visits each day.
“With our Sunset Hills office and the new St. Louis Earth City Distribution Center, New Balance is demonstrating our commitment to expanding unique technology sector employment opportunities in the St. Louis area,” said Bill Jacoby, Managing Director and General Manager of New Balance e-commerce
