OK Tire recently announced that the group has selected Salaberry-de-Valleyfield as the site for its new $14-million Eastern Canadian distribution centre.
OK Tire has chosen Salaberry-de-Valleyfield as the site for its new $14-million Eastern Canadian distribution centre.
“We are moving forward with our plans to build a new 18,580 sq m (200,000 sq ft) facility in the Perron Industrial and Port Park to expand and relocate our existing 6038 sq m (65,000 sq ft) Baie-d’Urfé operations. It is an excellent location for our new Eastern distribution centre,” says Tony Beck, Vice President of OK Tire Logistics and Distribution.
Being a part town, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is home to an intermodal/rail terminal, and a key logistics, transportation and distribution hub. This fits perfectly with OK Tire’s needs now and in the future, according to the group.
“The future of our larger community depends on innovative projects that focus both on sustainable and economic development,” says Miguel Lemieux, Mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. “Our city is indisputably an industrial crossroads of choice in terms of logistics, thanks in large part to our road, rail and port infrastructures as well as our experienced labour force.”
Located at the crossroads of the Montréal-Toronto trade corridor, the city is also a strategic gateway to the U.S. It also lies adjacent to Highway 30, an important distribution route that connects other main highways. In a release by the group, OK Tire says that its new distribution centre will not only increase its capacity significantly but will also allow for a larger assortment of products to be kept on hand. Additionally, the centre will be able to offer a better dealer service model.
Addition of this new distribution centre aligns with OK Tire’s $100 million investment for expansion of its distribution centre capabilities throughout Canada over the next five years. The group intends to grow its market share in the country as the largest independent tire and auto service retailer.
“This investment is part of our five-year strategic plan as we continue to grow our network. We’re expanding right now at approximately 30 dealers per year and we need to ensure we have the distribution capacity to support that growth,” says Jim Caldwell, President & CEO OK Tire Stores. “The city of Valleyfield is an ideal location for us to grow in and we look forward to being a socially responsible neighbour and providing ongoing opportunities for residents.”
The first major initiative of OK Tire’s five-year growth plan, the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield distribution centre is scheduled to be operational by 2020. Over the course of the next five years, OK Tire is to add more than 46,451 sq m (500,000 sq ft) to its network over all regions in the country.
“The Salaberry-de-Valleyfield distribution centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art systems that will help us leverage technology to future-proof our business,” says Michael Rutherford, COO OK Tire Stores. “This will create jobs that require technical knowledge and skills which will support the Valleyfield economy.”
