REI Co-op started fulfillment from its new distribution center in Lebanon, TN, to support growth in the Midwest and Southeast, serving over “60 stores and 5.6 million REI members” in the area.
Sylvia Wilks, REI’s chief supply chain officer, said, “Our new Lebanon distribution center allows us to improve our delivery speed to customers and stores, increase our throughput capacity and agility and lower costs, all while achieving new sustainable building standards.”
The facility design includes 90 skylights over regularly occupied spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, ergonomic workspaces, a gym, “trails” worn into the concrete floors for wayfinding, wood siding from a decommissioned barn installed in the atrium, furniture, and handrails repurposed from trees removed from the property before construction. The co-op is completing a habitat restoration project across the 41-acre property, featuring a trail for walking and biking.
REI’s Lebanon distribution center employs more than 230 part-time and full-time staff, possibly increasing the number to 350 employees.
The distribution center uses 100 percent renewable, 100 percent electric energy through an onsite solar array and renewable energy from a “soon-to-be-built solar array in Eastern Tennessee as part of REI’s partnership with Clearloop, a carbon solutions provider.” Electric forklifts transport merchandise in the 400,000-square-foot plant. Electric chargers are available for staff vehicles. Concrete and steel building materials have “over 30 percent less embodied carbon than typical material specifications.”
The building will use “30 percent less energy than code requires, primarily due to “energy-efficient lighting and HVAC building systems, and extends to all building systems.”
REI Lebanon “diverted over 90 percent of its construction waste from landfill and produced almost no waste by diverting over 90 percent of operational waste from landfill, which the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) defines as ‘zero-waste.'” The facility also participates in “an enterprise-wide partnership with Trex to recycle all thin-film plastic into durable, plastic decking.” The co-op “will pursue zero-waste certification after a year of operation through the USGBC TRUE zero waste certification program, joining its fleet of distribution centers as certified facilities.”
The facility uses “50 percent less water in its operations and landscaping than required by industry baseline. A cistern captures rainwater for non-potable uses within the building, while efficient fixtures reduce overall demand. Native and drought-tolerant landscaping further reduces the site’s water needs.” REI is targeting a platinum certification via USGBC’s LEED v4 BD+C (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Building Design and Construction) rating system. The LEED v4 rating system is the international standard for high-performance structures that account for measurable results in a facility’s lifecycle.
The Lebanon facility complements REI’s three existing distribution centers in Bedford, PA; Goodyear, AZ; and Sumner, WA, to serve 185 stores in 42 states and online order fulfillment for customers worldwide.
The USGBC’s green building certification also recognizes REI’s Bedford and Goodyear locations.
Rendering courtesy Al.Neyer
