NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 11, 2002) – A Tennessee developer has broken ground on a new distribution facility in Lebanon, Tenn., that will be Bridgestone/Firestone's largest U.S. distribution facility when it becomes operational next year. BFS will service customers throughout its mid-south region from the new warehouse.
Panattoni Development Co. is building the 750,000 sq.-ft. building that should be operating by April 2003. At that time, BFS will consolidate distribution from smaller warehouses in Memphis, Tenn. and Lawrenceville, Ga., the company said.
“Our primary motivation for selecting Lebanon,” said Nelson Miller, director of distribution, “was that from this location, we'll have the ability to provide overnight delivery service to more than 98 percent of our customers within a 500-mile radius.”
The new facility will be capable of handling more than 1 million tires at any time, BFS said, ranging in size from small passenger to large off-the-road. The new facility will employ more than 200 at full capacity.
To mark the ground-breaking, BFS donated an undisclosed sum to nearby Wilson Central High School to purchase new computers.