Ace to open distribution center in the Midwest
Ace Hardware Corporation has announced plans to open a new retail support center (RSC) located in Kansas City, Missouri.
The new facility, spanning approximately 1.5 million square feet, is projected to be fully operational in 2025, and is expected to provide employment opportunities to over 350 people, reported Ace.
“We look forward to construction of the new retail support center in Kansas City, which will be a critical part of Ace Hardware’s robust supply chain,” said Lori Bossmann, executive vice president, chief supply chain officer for Ace Hardware Corporation.
Ace Hardware is building the new facility to balance its current distribution network and meet the needs of its growing retail landscape, said the company.
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“This new facility will allow Ace to accommodate its recent growth and sales volume, and it will prepare our company for future business opportunities,” said Bossmann.
“By strengthening our presence in the Midwest, Ace will be better positioned to fulfill deliveries more frequently, ensuring consistent service levels as new stores are opening within our network,” said Bossmann.
The new Kansas City RSC will significantly enhance inventory capacity, said the firm, and bolster service levels across the nation. Encompassing more than 1.5 million square feet of floor space, it will be almost twice the size of the average Ace RSC and will be the first facility in the new KCI 29 Logistics Park, assembled by Hunt Midwest.
Similar to its recent distribution network expansion, said Ace, the Kansas City RSC will be equipped with state-of-the art technology, automation, and warehouse management systems.
“The addition of this RSC ensures that we have strategically positioned facilities aligned with our stores,” said Jake O’Neal, corporate VP, retail support. “It also enables us to maintain balanced service areas, ensuring the prompt delivery of goods to our stores and providing our retailers with a competitive advantage in meeting their customers’ needs.”
In the last 10 years, Oak Brook, Illinois-based Ace Hardware reported it has increased its retail sales by $12 billion. Ace has also experienced 11 consecutive years of new domestic store growth, it said, resulting in the opening of 850 new stores in the past five years.
