Falken Tire Corp. has opened a distribution center in Joliet, Ill. The facility will service tire dealers in the Chicago area metroplex and across the Midwest and into central Canada.
The company says the facility will allow greater use of its fleet of trucks, improving service and efficiency to dealers as well as servicing O.E. manufacturers located in the region.
Falken opened a regional distribution center in Robbinsville, N.J., in August.
“This is the second DC opened in 2014 with our new format that is capable of storing 54% more tires per square foot than previous locations,” says Ron Papcun, vice president of operations.
“This will be integral to our long-term strategy of driving down operating costs while improving service to our key accounts.
“We’re extremely excited with the opportunity to get closer to our customers in the region and will continue to make strategic investments in our new DC model in other markets.”
Falken’s new model DC format has a fire suppression system that allows the company to securely and safely store tires on portable stacking racks up to 30 feet or six racks high. This will achieve a density ratio in excess of two tires per square foot of space.
The company says other features in the distribution center are intended to maximize energy efficiency, improve throughput, ensure safe working practices, and reduce overall long-term cost of operations.
For more information on Falken and its products, visit www.falkentire.com.