Computers manufacturer/marketer Systemax opened a new distribution center in Jefferson, GA, which will create 400 jobs in the next five years. What’s more, the facility includes a TigerDirect retail store and business sales office.
The new DC encompasses 460,000 sq. ft. with an additional 60,000 sq. ft. mezzanine for automated order processing, says Gilbert Fiorentino, chief executive of Systemax Technology Products Group, including TigerDirect.
Fiorentino says Systemax has a 20-year history in Georgia at a number of locations. Currently, the company operates an 800,000-sq. ft. DC and business call center in Buford that serves Systemax’s industrial products business.
“Systemax has had excellent experiences working in Georgia, and doing business with the state has always been a pleasure, so it was natural for us to look to Georgia to locate our second technology products distribution center,” he explains. “We wanted a facility which could serve our East Coast direct-ship customers as well as provide support to our growing number of East Coast retail stores. A second DC for our technology group means faster delivery times for our East Coast customers.”
The distribution center will house state-of-the-art equipment to meet the needs of the company’s growing customer base. The facility, which will fulfill Internet, catalog and inbound phone-based orders, also allows Systemax to provide greater productivity and deliver shipping merchandise to the company’s 40 retail stores in North America, allowing for quicker product fulfillment.
The new TigerDirect store will use the company’s in-store shopping technology, Retail 2.0, which lets customers research TigerDirect’s product information using nearly 300 screens throughout the store. With a single touch, shoppers can find images, customer reviews, product manuals, and video demonstrations.
“We chose to include a retail store and business-to-business call center in the same facility for operational efficiencies, plus the state of Georgia, county and city officials were able to provide assistance in site preparation as well as employee screening and hiring,” Fiorentino says.
Systemax anticipates increasing its distribution center staff as its volume of inventory increases.