IKEA will build Savannah distribution center

IKEA will build Savannah distribution center    IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings retailer, said it will build a 1.7-million-square-foot distribution center on 115 acres at the Savannah River International Park, four miles from the Garden City Terminal at the Port of Savannah, Ga.
   The first phase of the project will be a 785,000-square-foot facility that IKEA anticipates will be operational by summer 2007. That initial facility will then be expanded by 975,000 square feet.
   When the distribution center is completed, IKEA expects to receive 15,000 TEUs through the Port of Savannah.
   With more than 1,500 suppliers in 55 countries, IKEA globally transports products to its stores through regional distribution centers. The new Savannah center will serve IKEA stores in Atlanta; Frisco, Texas; Houston; and a store under construction in Round Rock, Texas.
   'As one of the fastest-growing ports in the country, Savannah offers the long-term capacity, infrastructure and geography that we were seeking to complement our distribution presence in North America,' said Keith Keller, president of IKEA North America's distribution services.
   IKEA currently has 225 retail stores in 33 countries, and is opening three to five stores a year in North America. New locations, in addition to Round Rock, include Brooklyn, N.Y.; Canton, Mich.; Draper, Utah; Dublin, Calif.; Portland Ore.; Somerville, Mass.; and West Sacramento, Calif.
   Besides the new facility for Savannah, the company has North American distribution centers in Bristol, Pa.; Brossard, Quebec; Perryville, Md.; Tejon, Calif.; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Westhamton, N.J.