FONTANA, Calif. (March 8, 2017) — Carlstar Group L.L.C. has moved its West Coast distribution activities to a larger warehouse in Fontana, enabling the industrial tire and custom wheel producer to enhance its logistics and handling efficiency.
The 320,000-sq.-ft. facility offers more than 70-percent more storage capacity than the previous West Coast operations offered, Carlstar said, and will help streamline the firm's customer operations and ensure on time delivery and order accuracy.
The leased facility represents "another major investment…in our domestic capabilities and footprint," Carlstar CEO John Salvatore said without disclosing the scale of investment in the warehouse.
The new warehouse replaces a distribution facility in Ontario, Calif., located about five miles west of the new one. Staffing at startup is 35, but Carlstar said this could rise to 50.
The facility will handle Carlstar's lines of Carlisle-brand trailer, powersports, agricultural and outdoor tires, ITP-brand tires and wheels for recreational vehicles and Cragar-, Blackrock- and Unique-brand styled wheels.
Carlstar recently disclosed plans to invest $6.9 million in its wheel plant in Aiken, S.C., to expand process and production capacity to meet increasing demand for both automotive styled wheels and heavy-duty wheels.