Ryder System, Inc., a provider of supply chain, dedicated transportation and fleet management solutions, announced the opening of a third multiclient omnichannel distribution center in Columbus, OH, a key region for e-commerce fulfillment.
At nearly 440,000 square feet, the facility is the largest Ryder e-commerce distribution center in the Columbus area, and it is the first to open under the company’s new supply chain offering: Ryder E-Commerce by Whiplash.
“With the acquisition of Whiplash in January, we gained an enviable e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment solution with best-in-class technology and a proven operating platform, which will serve as the backbone of this new facility and the cornerstone of Ryder’s e-commerce fulfillment solution,” said Steve Sensing, President of Global Supply Chain Solutions for Ryder. “This latest expansion aligns with our broader strategy to get ever-closer to the end consumer to continually improve our customers’ speed-to-market, which is critical in today’s highly competitive environment.”
Strategically located in the nation’s fastest-growing large metro area (according to U.S. Census Bureau 2021 figures), Ryder’s new Columbus distribution center provides access to more Americans within 500 miles than any other major inland or coastal port, serving nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population within a 10-hour truck drive.
The facility features 42 cross-dock positions, 99 trailer spaces, and offers a full range of logistics and value-added services. It also features automation enhancements, such as robot-assisted order picking, which enable warehouse workers to focus on higher-productivity tasks; reduce overall labor costs; improve safety and retention; and enable seamless scaling within the same footprint.
“In the e-commerce race, the fastest and most agile win,” said Jeff Wolpov, Senior Vice President of Ryder E-Commerce by Whiplash. “This new facility is well-positioned to address the growing need for e-commerce distribution from the Midwest region to U.S. retailers and consumers across the U.S. with fast, cost-effective fulfillment and ground services. With three multiclient warehouses now in the Columbus area, we’re ideally situated to serve established and emerging brands that need either centrally located inventory in a single location or multiple distribution points—all with room to scale.”
The new Ryder E-Commerce by Whiplash solution addresses brands’ pain points, including the ability to seamlessly scale with growth as well as market fluctuations; maintain real-time control of inventory with advanced order logic automation; and easily integrate with brands’ existing e-commerce sales platforms, which facilitates quick onboarding.
“The technical integration was seamless and straightforward, and the onboarding process was very professional. We saw how much of management’s attention went into it,” said Zvika Alon, co-founder of Edikted, a Gen Z-oriented online fashion brand operating out of the new Columbus facility. “Meeting our deadline was crucial, as well as moving inventory in a way that didn’t cost sales. If we had pushed back a week it would’ve been a disaster for us, so the fact our deadline was met was amazing.”
To support the new distribution center located Ryder expects to recruit a team of approximately 250 people to fill a variety of positions, including warehouse associates, engineers, leadership and management, and support roles.
Ryder now operates 22 multiclient and dedicated e-commerce facilities across the U.S., with the ability to deliver to 100 percent of the population within two days and 60 percent within one day.
Recently, Ryder announced another expansion of its e-commerce fulfillment and multiclient warehousing network with a new, high-tech 678,000-square-foot facility in the Atlanta area. The facility, with easy access to extensive highway and railroad networks, is scheduled for completion later this year.