Oregon sporting good retailer expanding Portland-area DC

Oregon sporting good retailer expanding Portland-area DC Wilsonville, Ore.-based retailer Joe’s Sports & Outdoors is moving forward with plans to nearly double the size of its Wilsonville warehouse and distribution center.
   The 150,000-square-foot facility will be expanded to 275,000 square feet to keep up with demand as the 30-store Washington and Idaho chain — formerly known as GI Joe’s — moves forward with expansion plans into Utah and California. The company expects to have 45 stores open within the next few years.
   Joe’s Sports purchased the facility's 25 acres site in 1979 and built the first 100,000-square-foot structure to serve the chain's first five stores. Located just outside of Portland, Ore., the facility also houses the firm's head offices. In 1986, the firm added 50,000 square feet to the facility to keep up with growth, and the firm's long-term plans envision the center growing to upwards of 400,000 square feet. The distribution center handles 85 percent to 95 percent of the firm's products.
   In addition to adding additional square footage, the firm is reconfiguring the interior of the facility to increase efficiency, and 25 added bays and a conveyor system will help speed the flow of goods through the center. The firm employs about 250 workers at the facility.