Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp., has announced a $52 million investment to open a new distribution center in Jonestown, Pa. The company will lease a 500,000- square-foot building beginning July 2018 to support distribution for its Vans®, The North Face® and Timberland® branded products. Hiring will begin mid-2018 and the facility is expected to be operational in early 2019. Over the next three years, VF anticipates hiring 175 full-time employees for the distribution center and adjacent office space including operations, human resources, shipping and logistics, maintenance, safety, managerial and clerical, among other operations. The expansion was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team.
“As our direct-to-consumer business continues to grow, we see the consumer- focused opportunity to expand our distribution operations so that we can more quickly service our consumers in the Northeastern U.S.,” said Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman, president and CEO. “Jonestown is the ideal place for our new distribution center and warehouse given its skilled workforce and geographic location. We’re excited about expanding our operations in Pennsylvania and are appreciative of the efforts by the Governor’s Action Team to help make today’s announcement possible.”
“Originally founded in Pennsylvania, VF has a long history in our state,” said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. “We’re pleased that VF has chosen to expand on this successful foundation by bringing more than 175 good-paying jobs to families in Lebanon County. Pennsylvania continues to attract leading, global companies like VF given our exceptional business climate and strong infrastructure.”
In other company news, VF has announced a multi-year partnership with North Carolina State University (NC State), Raleigh, N.C., to support student development and advance apparel and textile innovation at the company. VF will establish a presence at NC State’s Centennial Campus, and the partnership will offer education and training opportunities for students including internships, provide education to VF associates, and facilitate research.
“VF is proud to partner with NC State University, one of the world’s top universities and home to the only college in the United States devoted entirely to textiles,” said Rendle. “Through our shared expertise in research and consumer insights, we aim to stimulate apparel innovation while also developing a consistent pipeline of exceptional leaders for our company.”
“With many College of Textiles alumni working and thriving at VF, we could not be more pleased to be building on our partnership,” said David Hinks, dean at the College of Textiles. “The addition of VF on campus and the ability of students and faculty from both the College of Textiles and Poole College of Management to work shoulder-to-shoulder with VF personnel will bring new avenues to advance textiles, apparel and footwear.”
January/February 2018
