Furniture Today,
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Ikea said today it will build a

distribution center of as much as 1.4 million square feet in Joliet, Ill, south of Chicago.

The Midwestern Distribution Center, on 72 acres at the Laraway Crossings Business Park, will allow the retailer to receive goods in Joliet by rail, to manage its inventory and to distribute product to stores throughout North America, with a focus on stores in the Midwest.

The project will consist of a 650,000-square-foot facility to be operational as early as spring 2016. Plans allow for a potential expansion with 770,000 more square feet if necessary.

After construction, the center will have about 150 employees, the company said.

Goods received in Joliet will reflect the nearly 10,000 exclusive items sold at Ikea stores. With more than 1,300 suppliers in 54 countries around the world, the Sweden-based retailer transports products to its stores globally through regional distribution centers.

The Joliet center will provide the primary inventory to Ikea’s Midwest stores, including units in Bloomington, Minn.; Canton, Mich.; Bolingbrook and Schaumburg, Ill.; and one planned to open next year in West Chester, Ohio.

The facility also will be able to supply other stores across the country as needed. It also will provide the means for transporting goods across the country via rail so goods from Europe can be received on the East Coast and be distributed to western stores, and vice versa with goods via Asia.

“This location’s proximity to rail line offers the long-term capacity, infrastructure and geography that we were seeking to complement our distribution presence in North America, and to ensure our stores can continue to offer well designed and functional home furnishings at affordable prices,” said Keith Keller, Ikea North America’s Distribution Services president.
 
Ikea has stores in 34 countries, including 40 in North America and 29 in the United States.

Other stores are planned for Brooklyn, N.Y.; Draper, Utah; Orlando, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Somerville, Mass.; Sunrise, Fla.; and West Chester, Ohio.

The company has North American distribution centers in Bristol, Pa.; Brossard, Quebec; Perryville, Md.; Tejon, Calif.; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Westampton, New Jersey. In addition to Joliet, it is building other centers in Savannah, Ga., and Tacoma, Wash.