Yakima has opened a distribution center in Riverside, Calif., that will decrease delivery time by 50% for western customers. Retailers can expect a one to two day transit time instead of the previous distribution schedule of four to five days. Yakima will begin to stock the center with product next week and will commence shipping in the third quarter. The Riverside center will service Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and the Memphis distribution center will continue to ship to the remainder of the U.S.
“The new Riverside distribution center gives us the capabilities we need to provide best-in-class logistics services across the country,” said Jerry Heinlen, CEO of Yakima. “Our western customers will now enjoy shorter transit times, which will help them to always have the right Yakima products in the right place at the right time. Coupled with our lean manufacturing and strategic sourcing initiatives, our distribution operations are driving rapid improvements in our supply chain which will drive new growth for Yakima and our customers.”
The Riverside distribution center is an ISO 9000 certified facility operated by Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, a leading third party logistics company which provides comprehensive supply chain management solutions and operates over 21 million sq. ft. of warehouse space across the globe. This new warehouse is radio frequency enabled, offering the ability to address shipping discrepancies before they happen.
“Opening Riverside is a true win-win for Yakima and our customers,” said Josh Creasman, director of supply chain and logistics for Yakima. “Establishing a western distribution footprint brings us closer to key western markets and supports the strong growth we are enjoying in several product lines, especially our cargo boxes. Soon, all products including our cargo boxes will ship from both distribution centers.”
The environment will benefit from Yakimas new distribution system as well, according to Creasman. In April, Yakima launched Planet Payback, its company-wide carbon dioxide reduction initiative. Through the new distribution system changes, Yakima will save an estimated 34,309 gallons of fuel and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 1,134 tons. In total, Yakima product will travel 357,915 fewer miles annually, equivalent to 15 trips around the earth.
