Canadian Tire Corp. (Toronto) will build a 1.5-million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Coteau du Lac, Quebec, to support the company’s continued growth in Eastern Canada.
“Between 2005 and 2009, we will undertake 300 projects to continue the renewal of our store network, including 100 new or replacement stores that will significantly expand our retail square footage and increase retail sales,” said Patrick Sinnott, senior vice-president, supply chain. “This distribution center is essential to our growth. It will be the largest among Canadian Tire's distribution centers and with state-of-the-art technology and material handling systems, we will be able to efficiently supply our stores in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.”
Construction of the facility will begin this fall and is expected to take 27 months to complete with a planned opening in early 2009. When fully operational, the distribution center will employ 600 full-time and 300 part-time employees and will process over 50 million cubic feet of product. Coteau-du-Lac is located in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region of Quebec, about 45 minutes west of Montreal.
The capital investment to construct and equip the new Eastern Canada distribution center is approximately $240 million over the life of the project. Canadian Tire plans to operate the facility through a third-party logistics operator.
Source: Canadian Tire Corp.