Warehouse

Atlanta -- The Home Depot announced the opening of its new direct fulfillment center, in Locust Grove, Ga. It is the first of three such facilities the company will open across the United States over the next two years, adding more than three million square feet and approximately 1,000 jobs to its supply chain.

Hingham, Mass. -- Building #19, the New England closeout retailer which shut its doors after declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2013, has returned as The Rug Dept. The company opened its first Rug Dept. store in the town of Norwood, Mass. on Jan. 26.

Seattle — Nordstrom has broken ground on a fulfillment center at Conewago Industrial Park in Elizabethtown, Pa. It will be the company’s third fulfillment center. The 672,000-sq.-ft. building, with a 470,000-sq.-ft. mezzanine, is scheduled to open in summer 2015.

In its first three years, the new center will create nearly 400 full-time positions and additional opportunities for part-time and seasonal jobs. Looking ahead, Nordstrom expects to increase staffing to 700 full-time positions or more.

Seattle – Nordstrom plans to open its third fulfillment center at Conewago Industrial Park in Elizabethtown, Pa. Work has begun on the approximately 672,000-sq.-ft. building, with an additional 470,000-square foot mezzanine, which is scheduled to open in summer 2015, and the company is taking bids.

Seattle – Technicians working at an Amazon.com fulfillment center in Middletown, Del., have reportedly rejected a bid to unionize from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). According to Reuters, a group of 27 maintenance and repair technicians voted against joining the IAM, 21-6.

With a new year come new challenges and opportunities. As consumer patterns continue to evolve, so must retailers and their supply chain operations, influenced by technological advancements and other external factors. Coming off a modestly successful holiday shopping season, retailers are geared up for 2014 and prepared to address what promise to be the top five challenges of 2014.

Omnichannel

Cincinnati -- Automated material handling solutions provider Intelligrated has hired Chris Lingamfelter as VP, integrated system sales and strategy.

By Rich Thompson, managing director of supply chain & logistics solutions for the Americas at Jones Lang LaSalle