OK Tire has announced its plans to upgrade and relocate its Newfoundland distribution centre.
The new centre will be moved to Mount Pearl from the town of Clarenville. The relocation is aligned with OK Tire’s $100 million-dollar expansion plan across Canada over the next five years. The plan includes the expansion and relocation of its Manitoba distribution centre from the town of Blumenort to Winnipeg, as well as choosing Salaberry-de-Valleyfield for its Eastern Canadian distribution centre.
“The move to Mount Pearl from Clarenville, Newfoundland will allow for a more streamlined distribution strategy with a better assortment to become more aligned with market demands,” says Mike Rutherford, COO of OK Tire. “The site is conveniently located in the industrial area and will provide key access to trucking and transportation options as well as major highway access, providing an enhanced dealer service model”.
According to the company, the new centre is better-located to address the requirements of the customers and dealers in the area. It will be spread out over an area of 16,000 sq. ft.
“At the heart of this project is a need to better serve our dealers and, by extension, our customers,” says Jim Caldwell, President & CEO OK Tire Stores. “With an increase of approximately 30 dealers per year, our distribution centres need to effectively keep up with the growth. This move will help secure our business for future opportunities.”
Expansion of the distribution centre is one of the first major initiatives of the company’s growth plan. Over the next five years, OK Tire intends to add more than 500,000 sq. ft. to its network throughout all the regions in Canada. This expansion is the largest one yet in the company’s 66-year history, states OK Tire.