By A.K. Dugan, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 12:00 am
Work has begun but much more is ahead
About 275 employees are already at work at Lowe's, about 70 in the office and the remainder in training on equipment they will use on their jobs in the distribution center.
Andy Johnson, manager of Lowe's in Lebanon, showed about 200 members of the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce around the facility on May 24 and talked about what happens inside.
Lowe's will begin receiving stock on June 4 and shipping it out about July 9, initially with three shifts of 60 to 70 people each. Johnson said. More employees are being added every week, he said, and should reach 400 in early July. That won't be the end of the hiring.
In July, the center will ship to 24 stores, adding 24 more in August, then later another 21 and another 25 by January.
The facility will ship to Lowe's stores in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, Oregon at first and eventually to Idaho, Montana, and central and northern California.
The building - about 1 mile around and 1.4 million square feet - has 60 shipping doors and about 150 receiving doors.
Products are divided into two categories, depending on how they are handled. Conveyable products move almost entirely by lifts and conveyors. Non-conveyable products require more human handling.
Much of the structure is occupied by 30-foot tall bright blue and yellow racks that are securely bolted to the polished concrete floor. These are the racks where pallets of products are stored between receiving and shipping. Some products move in and out quickly, others are stored on the racks for a few weeks or months.
Conveyors that start and end on the main floor and in between speed along on the central mezzanine high above the floor, move products from the racks to shipping doors.
Johnson said the facility will stock between 14,000 and 15,000 SKUs, or different items. Not all stores carry all products.
Lowe's operates more than 1,400 stores in 49 states.
A.K. Dugan may be reached at 258-3151 or ak.dugan@lee.net.