ST. LOUIS, June 21, 2016 – New Balance Athletics, Inc. will open the doors of a new, 165,000 sq. ft. distribution center today in Earth City, 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 eCommerce business. The grand opening celebration today will feature 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. This dynamic, evolving, and talented associate group consists of a wide range of professional teams including Global Technology Development, Creative Studio, eCommerce Site and Marketing leadership, New Digital Business Development, Retail Merchandising, Distribution Center Operations, Consumer Analytics, and a Consumer Support Call Center.
“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 eCommerce. “Our global retailing division is experiencing a historic transformation led by digital commerce, and the St. Louis region offers New Balance an ever-expanding source of talented professionals, outstanding college and university students, and state and regional government leaders who are committed to supporting new sources of economic growth. We are excited to be a part of that movement.”
New Balance St. Louis associates participate each year in the company’s annual Global Volunteer Week in support of NB SparkStart, a global charitable initiative aimed at fueling the next generation’s passion for movement and the pursuit of lifelong health, well-being and success. NB SparkStart Global Volunteer Week efforts align directly with the NB SparkStart goal, by encouraging associates worldwide to coordinate service projects that inspire a lifetime of movement and healthy eating in kids.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2015 reported worldwide sales of $3.72 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com. Keep up-to-date with all of the latest New Balance news on Twitter @NewBalance and newbalance on Facebook.
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