BELLA+CANVAS Opens 1.4 Million Sq. Ft. of Distribution Space
Since 1992, BELLA+CANVAS has operated with one distribution facility at its headquarters in Commerce, California. On March 3, the California distribution center closed and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened on March 6. To expand its reach, the company opened a second distribution facility in North East, Maryland. Both are now fully operational.
According to BELLA, the move is crucial in supporting its customers, their creative endeavors, and the American job market. The company’s blog states that the facilities will help the blank apparel manufacturer “reach customers faster” with garments dyed and cut in Los Angeles. Further, customers can expect orders at their final U.S. destination in roughly 1-3 days via UPS Ground.
“We needed a larger facility due to the growth we have been experiencing,” says Tori Thomas, director of marketing, BELLA+CANVAS. “We loved being in Los Angeles, but we were landlocked in our space. North Las Vegas has the space we need for development, and it was advantageous for us to be there.”
Facility Details
The two new facilities boast 1.4 million sq. ft. in total, employing 720 employees, including some transfers and some new hires, and 300 bots. BELLA takes a hybrid approach to technology, working in conjunction with its workforce. Robotics help with fulfillment and carrying orders, while employees load each bot with the product needed to complete an order.
The Vegas facility is 720,000 sq. ft. on its own and “the most technologically advanced distribution warehouse in industry history,” according to a press release. It features a three-level-pick mezzanine, aka a picking system or a pick module. The system, “powered by three-quarters of a mile-long spiral conveyance,” aims to maximize warehouse space. Each level provides 120,000 sq. ft. of incremental racking and storage.
COO Norm Hullinger states, “We’re committed to technology so we can grow the business efficiently and, in turn, create more jobs in the U.S.”
The news comes one year after the company announced its $11.9 million investment in an Alabama textile plant, which created over 500 jobs in Wetumpka.
