BROOKVILLE JOBS
Shoe distribution facility brings jobs to Brookville
Center will supply footwear to Payless stores east of the Mississippi River.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
BROOKVILLE — Everybody from the governor of Ohio to the mayor of Brookville sang the praises of regional cooperation at the opening of the Collective Brands Inc. distribution center.
"This has been a blueprint for regional cooperation," Mayor David Seagraves said of the $35 million facility with its 300 jobs.
Topeka, Kan.-based Collective Brands Inc. held a grand opening Friday, Feb. 27, at the 600,000-square-foot facility, which can ship as many as 400,000 pairs of shoes to 2,200 Payless shoe stores east of the Mississippi River.
"The opening ... is indeed a reason to celebrate the support and collaboration" of those involved, Gov. Ted Strickland said in a video message.
The Brookville site was in competition with two others.
"We chose Brookville because what the community did to welcome us. This is a community with nothing but the people in mind," said Matt Rubel, Collective CEO.
The facility's 4½ miles of conveyers also distributes Stride Rite brands to stores around the country. The facility is outfitted with the latest in technology for sorting and inventory.
Collective announced last year it would add another 200,000 square feet to the facility to accommodate Stride Rite, which it acquired in 2007. The addition will bring another 100 jobs when completed this fall.
During the formal ceremony, Rubel emphasized the company's drive toward sustainability. By moving to a dual distribution center model — the company has a distribution center in Redlands, Calif., to handle everything west of the Mississippi — the company saves 1.2 million gallons of fuel annually.
The Brookville facility was plumbed to save 135,000 gallons of water a year and wired with motion-sensing lightning that will save 6 million kilowatt-hours annually.
With the reuse and recycling of all corrugated material, Rubel estimated the operation will save upwards of 67,000 trees annually.
After the ceremony, Rubel said such conservation makes business sense.
"We look at a triple bottom line: people, profit, planet," he said. "They all work together."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2290 or dpage@DaytonDailyNews.com.
