Category: E-Commerce

Central CaliforniaE-Commerce
By Jennifer E-Commerce • Food Processing • Health/Medical • Hi-Tech • Manufacturing • Top Stories • Workforce 0 Comments

VOLT Institute Graduates Inaugural Class

MODESTO, CA — On June 27, nearly a year after opening, VOLT Institute saw the graduation of its

first class of maintenance mechanic students. VOLT Institute, a partnership of Opportunity Stanislaus

and Stanislaus County Office of Education, was started at the request of local employers looking for

skilled candidates to fill existing and future vacancies. Employers set a priority of training maintenance

mechanics, a field with widespread shortages including over 300 openings in Stanislaus County alone.

Austin Parker, 22, is one of the graduates. He credits the program with his new job at Hughson Nut,

citing the teachers, hands-on learning, and personalized pace as benefits.

 

“VOLT was a greatopportunity,” said Parker. “It has already opened up a ton of doors for me. The instruction at VOLT

was hands-on and kept pace with students and the job placement assistance was beyond what any other

college would do. Thanks to VOLT I no longer just have a job- I have a career.”

 

Parker’s situation is not unique. In fact, VOLT boasts an 88% placement rate among graduates.

Opportunity Stanislaus CEO David White has been a driver of VOLT since the planning stages. “We

have come so far so fast and are excited about the momentum we’re gaining,” said White. “We have

the best equipment—machines that simulate industry facilities—and we have a team that is absolutely

committed to the success of the students. We look forward to great things.”

 

In addition to the 11-month Industrial Maintenance Mechanic program, VOLT also has a 3-month

Certified Production Technician program and workshops on a wide variety of business topics. Training

areas will continue to expand as the student population and capacity grows. “Stanislaus County Office

of Education has a tradition of preparing students for the workforce through education,” said Executive

Director Deb Rowe.

“VOLT is a great example of multi-sector partnership training, the industry

recognized certifications through VOLT qualify student for a living wage job which affirms we are

headed in the right direction to support our community and beyond.”

 

VOLT Institute recently made news when it was awarded $1,000,000 in the 2018-19 California State

Budget to expand training for high-demand careers in manufacturing, one of the county’s most critical

industries. The funding will support the expansion of an education and training partnership between

Modesto Junior College (MJC), Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE), and Opportunity

Stanislaus to prepare students for jobs based on employer demand. The grant will serve as the local

match necessary for a federal United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development

Administration grant.

 

New classes start October 8 and continue through September 5 of 2019. For more information or to

enroll please visit www.voltinstitute.com or call 209.566.9102.

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics • Manufacturing • New Location • Top Stories 0 Comments

1,000-plus new jobs coming to Stockton, Tracy

Record Staff Writer

Posted Jul 12, 2018 at 6:47 PM
  

Two new employers are coming to San Joaquin County, each promising 500 or more well-paying jobs to a region with an unemployment rate that is 1 percentage higher than the state average.

The city of Tracy on Thursday announced that Katerra, a Menlo Park-based firm, will open a 577,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the first half of 2019. The building is under construction.

Katerra plans to open a high-tech factory that will produce building components including wall panels, floor systems, windows and cabinets.

Downtown Stockton, meanwhile, is the intended home for ConSol USA, a new firm that founder Robert Tibbs said will focus on developing artificial-intelligence technology to be used in the medical and financial sectors.

Of special note concerning ConSol USA is its planned workforce. Tibbs, 63, said he intends to provide jobs to young people from Stockton, giving them opportunities to begin in entry-level positions that will lead to living-wage careers with the company.

“We really have to demonstrate we’re committed to the (geographic) areas that really have the most needs,” said Tibbs, who added that he escaped an impoverished childhood to become a lifelong entrepreneur.

“It’s about zeroing in on communities like Stockton and putting our money where our mouth is. There are thousands of people in the Stockton area that have as much talent, intellect and energy as do I. It’s about giving them an opportunity.”

The ConSol USA plan was announced Thursday at a news conference featuring Mayor Michael Tubbs, the University of the Pacific and Valley Vision, a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization.

The main purpose of the news conference was to publicly release a “workforce development action plan” for Stockton produced with private funds. The 30-page plan offers a road map intended to bring better-paying jobs to Stockton while developing a better-prepared workforce to fill those positions.

“We want to build a future here in Stockton,” Tubbs said. “If we continue the status quo, we will continue to grow low-wage jobs. This report outlines our challenges but it also shows that with the right focus, we can set Stockton on a path toward economic prosperity.”

According to government data, Stockton’s 6.3 percent unemployment rate at the end of May was 2.1 percentage points higher than the state’s jobless rate of 4.2 percent. San Joaquin County’s unemployment rate in the same government report was 5.3 percent. Tracy’s was 3.4 percent.

At roughly the same time as the Stockton announcement, Tracy Mayor Robert Rickman spoke optimistically about the new jobs Katerra will bring to the region beginning next year.

“Tracy’s proximity to workforce talent, affordable land and state-of-the-art building opportunities provide a business-supportive environment for advanced manufacturing companies such as Katerra to thrive,” Rickman said.

Tibbs said he hopes to have a more detailed announcement of ConSol USA’s plan within two months.

http://www.recordnet.com/news/20180712/1000-plus-new-jobs-coming-to-stockton-tracy

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics • New Developments 0 Comments

Prologis pays $47 Million for two Stockton buildings

Central Valley Business Times

June, 29, 2018

  • The seller is CT of Newport Beach
  • “Reflect the high demand for world-class logistics facilities in major distribution markets”

Newport Beach industrial developer CT says it has sold two newly-constructed buildings at its NorCal Logistics Center in Stockton. to Prologis for $47 million. The two buildings total 575,127 square feet and mark the initial completion of CT’s three-building Phase I development of the larger 4.4 m

Prologis (NYSE: PLD), the largest owner of industrial space in the U.S., paid approximately $82 per square foot for the buildings, which were unleased and in shell condition at closing.

CT was represented in the sale by Kevin Dal Porto, Blake Rasmussen and John McManus of Cushman & Wakefield; Prologis was self-represented.

“These transactions reflect the high demand for world-class logistics facilities in major distribution markets nationwide,” says Carter Ewing, managing partner of CT. “In this case, the transaction allows Prologis to enjoy a fair profit on their investment going forward while providing CT with a sizeable return and well ahead of schedule – a true win-win.”

NorCal Logistics Center is home to General Mills, KeHE Foods, Allen Distributors and Fox Head, and is in the heart of California’s Central Valley, a 185 million-square-foot industrial market. The region is an extension of a global logistics supply chain infrastructure directly linked to West Coast ports in  Stockton, Oakland, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Portland, Oregon and Seattle/Tacoma, Washington.

CT purchased the 345-acre industrial site for NorCal Logistics Center in May 2017 and has now completed the first phase development, including a third 1,122,341-square-foot building, one of the single largest speculative industrial buildings in Northern California.

The second phase of development will begin toward the end of 2018 and include three buildings totaling approximately 1.6 million square feet of space, the company says.

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics 0 Comments

DOLLAR GENERAL EXPANDS INTO NEW BUILDING AT TEJON RANCH COMMERCE CENTER

  

Barry Zoeller

News Press Release

 

DOLLAR GENERAL TO EXPAND DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS

AT TEJON RANCH COMMERCE CENTER (TRCC)

Dollar General leases additional space in new industrial building developed by Tejon Ranch Co. and Majestic Realty Co. 

TEJON RANCH, Calif. (March 26, 2018) – The partnership of Tejon Ranch Co. (NYSE: TRC) and Majestic Realty Co. today announced major discount retailer Dollar General (NYSE: DG) is leasing more than 240,000 square feet of warehouse space in a new building the partnership developed at the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center (TRCC). Dollar General will use the new facility to support its operations in California.

Dollar General currently operates out of a separate building at TRCC, and with the expansion, will be increasing its footprint by nearly 40 percent.

“We are happy for Dollar General’s success in California and are pleased the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center is able to meet the company’s need for additional distribution space,” said Joseph N. Rentfro, executive vice president of real estate at Tejon Ranch Co. “Dollar General’s decision to expand here underscores Tejon Ranch’s value as proven and opportune place for companies wanting to locate and/or expand in California.”

“Majestic Realty is proud to welcome Dollar General as the inaugural tenant of the first building developed in partnership with Tejon Ranch Co.,” said Brett Tremaine, senior vice president at Majestic Realty Co. “This is just the beginning, as we believe the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center’s strategic location and outstanding labor pool will prove to be advantageous for many more companies in the future.”

Dollar General has used the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center as the hub of its California distribution operations for the last six years. With its expansion into the new Tejon Ranch-Majestic Realty developed facility, it will now occupy a total of more than 850,000 square feet of space within TRCC.

“It makes perfect sense for Dollar General to expand its operations at Tejon Ranch,” says John DeGrinis, SIOR, Senior Executive Vice President of Colliers International, who represents TRCC.  “Its central location directly on Interstate 5 allows them to serve stores in both northern and southern California; the large pool of employees with a great work ethic has led to a stable workforce with a low turnover rate; and the fact that total operating costs are among the lowest in the state, all add up to some pretty compelling reasons why TRCC represented a great opportunity for Dollar General,” he added.

The Tejon Ranch Commerce Center is Tejon Ranch Co.’s 1,450-acre master planned commercial/industrial development located at the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 99, about an hour north of the Los Angeles basin.  The Commerce Center is also home to major distribution centers for IKEA, Famous Footwear and Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT).

An additional 240,000 square feet of space is available in the new building to be occupied by Dollar General.  The building is a Class A cross dock industrial building featuring a 36-foot clear height, seven-inch floor slab and an ESFR sprinkler system.  Overall, the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center has nearly 16 million square feet of entitled space available for sale, lease or build-to-suit, with sites ranging from 20,000 square feet to more than 2,000,000.  All of the industrial sites at TRCC are included in Foreign Trade Zone #276, and additionally, companies locating there are eligible to apply for tax rebate incentives being offered by Kern County.

http://tejonranch.com/dollar-general-expands-new-building-tejon-ranch-commerce-center/

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics 0 Comments

If you’re 18 and a high school grad, that’s a starting point for Amazon’s Fresno jobs

By Tim Sheehan

May 09, 2018 

Amazon has started taking applications to begin hiring the 1,500 or so workers that it wants for its new Fresno order-filling warehouse. And the online retail behemoth has a laundry list of qualities that it’s looking for in its would-be employees.

“We’re hiring for positions from picking, packing and shipping customer orders to facility technicians, IT and HR members,” said Lauren Lynch, an Amazon spokeswoman. The company recently posted on its website a job listing for full-time warehouse associates who are expected to make up the bulk of the workforce when the fulfillment center opens in June or July.

There are some basic qualifications that Amazon is looking for in its employees: to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. But for the jobs that pay an hourly wage of $11.75 an hour to start, with regular pay increases plus Amazon stock and performance bonuses, there’s a little more to it. The job listing on the company’s hiring website for hourly positions includes:

▪ “Flexibility to work any shift, willing and able to work overtime as required.” The post says that “associates should be open to working voluntary and mandatory extra hours” and to work at a fast pace.

▪ “You must be able to lift up to 49 pounds, stand/walk for up to 10-12 hours a day and be able to frequently push, pull, squat, bend and reach, all with or without reasonable accommodation.”

▪ “You’re able to continuously climb and descend stairs safely” in buildings with stairs.

▪ “You are comfortable working on a secure mezzanine at a height of up to 40 feet” in buildings with a mezzanine level.

▪ “You must be willing and able to work on powered industrial trucks, such as a forklift or order picker.”

Amazon has other positions on a different careers web page: lead fulfillment associates that require prior work experience or greater education, with a preference for a bachelor’s degree and some management experience; IT support technicians who set up and maintain computer and networking equipment; an IT support engineer to troubleshoot computers and networks; a “yard jockey” to coordinate the flow of tractor-trailer rigs coming into and out of the warehouse center’s trailer yard; an on-site medical representative for which the company is seeking military veterans; and a senior site environmental health and safety manager.

Lynch said the company’s average hourly wage for full-time associates at its fulfillment centers in the U.S. is more than $15 an hour before overtime. That, she said, includes stock and incentive bonuses.

The company is only taking applications through its websites and currently has no hiring events scheduled for the Fresno center. Once Amazon receives an application, it begins the company’s hiring process of evaluation, screening and training.

Construction of the Fresno warehouse began last summer on a 20-acre site near Central and Orange avenues at the south end of the city.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article210779624.html

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics • New Location 0 Comments

Amazon’s not the only warehouse hiring in Fresno. Ulta Beauty looking for workers, too

BY TIM SHEEHAN

May 10, 2018 11:30 AM

Ulta Beauty, one of the nation’s biggest retailers of cosmetics and beauty supplies, is ramping up the staffing of a major distribution center in Fresno to serve 400 stores and fill online orders from customers across the western U.S.

When it opens later this year, the 670,500-square-foot center near Central and East avenues will employ about 540 workers – a workforce that could expand to as many as 1,000 employees during peak retail seasons. It will be one of six distribution warehouses that Ulta operates, and the only one in California.

The center is less than a half-mile from the site where online retailer Amazon is getting ready to open its own fulfillment warehouse near Central and Orange avenues. Amazon expects to have about 1,500 employees by the time it hits its full stride. Together, Ulta and Amazon are expected to account for more than 2,000 new jobs in the warehouse sector.

Ulta Inc., a major retailer of cosmetics and beauty supplies, is opening a distribution center at the southern edge of Fresno, not far from Amazon’s new fulfillment center. Both buildings are scheduled to open later this year.
Tim Sheehan The Fresno Bee

“We have spent the past three months hiring our initial leadership team,” said Carolyn Sutphen, an Ulta spokeswoman. “We are continuing to hire leadership positions and have recently started hiring key specialty positions such as mechanics, clerks and equipment operators.”

According to the employment page of Ulta’s website, these various positions include industrial engineers, production controllers, maintenance supervisors, distribution center supervisors and warehouse management system analysts.

Now, as the center’s summer opening draws nearer, “we just posted positions for material handlers, our primary hourly warehouse associates position,” Sutphen said. “This hiring will continue for the next six months.”

Starting pay for positions at the Ulta warehouse ranges from $13 to $18 per hour, Sutphen said. Positions that require more certification or technical training are paid at higher rates.

Applicants for materials handlers need to be at least 18 years old and have basic math skills. The company prefers people who have a high school diploma or GED, a year or more of related experience or training, or a combination of experience and education. Ulta also prefers that employees have basic computer skills and be knowledgeable about scanners that track inventory through the distribution process.

The work may involve constant exposure to loud noises, occasional work in high places, variations in temperature, dusty environments, strong scents from cosmetics and fragrances and work in narrow aisles or trailers.

Ulta, which has 1,074 stores in 48 states plus the District of Columbia, reported sales of nearly $5.9 billion in 2017, generating a profit of about $555.2 million.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article210788674.html

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics • New Location 0 Comments

GAP SECURES $4.25M STATE TAX CREDIT FOR FRESNO EXPANSION

Published On April 12, 2018 – 2:12 PM
Written By Gabriel Dillard

The Gap, Inc. has been awarded a $4.25 million tax credit to support its expansion plans at its Fresno campus, where an e-commerce fulfillment center has been planned.

A committee of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-Biz, today approved a total of $76 million in tax credits for 63 companies as part of the California Competes program to help businesses create new jobs in the Golden State.

San Francisco-based Gap was awarded a tax credit for the expansion of its San Francisco headquarters as well as a new e-commerce fulfillment center planned near Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The retailer plans to invest $100 million in the expansion, according to its tax credit agreement, which would create an additional 698 jobs. According to the GO-Biz agreement, at least 75 percent of the net increase in full-time employees will work at least 75 percent of the time in Fresno.

The Gap indicates it will add 162 new full-time positions in the 2018 tax year, 502 for 2019 ramping up to 698 by 2021.

Panorea Avdis, GO-Biz director and chair of the California Competes Tax Credit Committee, said in a statement: “In the last four years, hundreds of companies have made commitments to expand in the state and GO-Biz will continue to host informational workshops and work with our regional and local partners to ensure companies of all sizes know about and apply for these tax credits.”

The City of Fresno announced last month that The Gap would relocate its e-commerce operation to Fresno, bringing at least 515 new full-time employees. Full operation will ramp up over a three-year period.

The agreement is made possible through a 30-year economic incentive agreement that will provide performance-based incentives based on the creation of at least 500 new net jobs, and possibly hundreds more for part-time and seasonal needs.

The agreement will also ensure continued sustainability for the 351 employees currently working at the Fresno Gap distribution center, which opened in 1999.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/gap-secures-4-25m-state-tax-credit-fresno-expansion/

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Logistics • Manufacturing • New Developments 0 Comments

Construction milestone reached at Manteca Commerce Center

 

Central Valley Business Times

April 13, 2018

  • Dermody Properties puts in first wall panels for industrial building
  • “We are excited to be expanding our investments in the Central Valley”

The tilt-up and placement of the first wall panels for a 286,072- square-foot building that could be used as a distribution center has been completed by Dermody Properties in the Manteca Commerce Center, the Reno, Nevada-based company says. Dermody builds and manages logistics real estate.

The new building will feature a total of 50 dock doors, two grade-level doors, a 36-foot clear height and 156 car parking spaces. Construction is expected to be complete in the second quarter.

“We are excited to be expanding our investments in the Central Valley,” says Douglas Kiersey Jr., president of Dermody Properties. “The development of Manteca Commerce Center is consistent with our strategy of investing in key distribution markets with a high demand for industrial facilities and a well established transportation infrastructure.”

Manteca Commerce Center is located directly off of Highway 120, about 15 minutes south from the Port of Stockton, with access to Highway 99 and Interstate 5. The developer says the location provides “an ideal” West Cost distribution link to Fresno, Reno, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

“Manteca Commerce Center is our second property in the Central Valley,” says George Condon, West region partner, Dermody Properties. “Companies are continuing to move from the Bay Area to the Central Valley to expand their businesses and lease Class-A warehouse space at a significant discount to the cost of Bay Area warehouses. Companies new to Northern California are also setting up shop in the Central Valley to serve the businesses and residents of the Bay Area.”

JLL is marketing the property. The project was designed by HP, Inc., and BCM Construction is the general contractor.

http://files.constantcontact.com/2cb20f61601/12d85a0b-161b-4ef2-85f1-4802f7ddbfea.pdf

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics 0 Comments

Ex-Fed Ex building sold for $10.45M in Stockton

By BusinessJournal

 

The property at 4730 FIte Court in Stockton, a one-time Fed Ex ground facility, has sold for $10.45 million to Dermody Properties.

An industrial building which once house a Fed Ex ground facility in Stockton has sold for $10.45 million.

Dermody Properties, a company owning distribution, e-commerce and manufacturing sites throughout the U.S., purchased the location at 4730 Fite Court, which is 143,888 square feet off Arch Road, east of Highway 99 in Stockton.

“Dermody Properties has made significant strides at growing their footprint in the Central Valley and proved to be the best buyer to bring in, figure out this somewhat complicated transaction given the existing tenant, underlying sublease and other property related matters, and close on this well-located, quality asset,” said Jim Martin, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Stockton, who represented Dermody Properties in the transaction.

“This is further testament to how our Lee offices are able to execute assignments and work in partnership to provide excellent service to our customers,” Martin went on to say.

The seller was Stockton MAG, LLC., who was represented by Martin and Craig Hagglund, SIOR, of  Lee & Associates Oakland.

https://cvbj.biz/2018/04/05/ex-fed-ex-building-sold-for-10-45m-in-stockton/

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics • New Location 0 Comments

Gap bringing fulfillment center to Fresno, expected to add more than 500 jobs

BY BRIANNA CALIX

March 29, 2018 11:00 AM

Fresno is getting another big e-commerce fulfillment center – and more than 500 new jobs.

Fresno city officials and San Francisco-based clothing apparel company Gap, Inc. have reached an agreement to establish the company’s e-commerce fulfillment center near its current distribution facility, Mayor Lee Brand announced Thursday morning. The city says the move is expected to add at least 515 full-time jobs to the retailer’s operations here over a three-year period.

The agreement is being made possible by the mayor’s Economic Expansion Act, which provides performance-based job incentives for companies looking to grow and move to Fresno.

Brand called the relocation of the fulfillment center from out-of-state to the city “a shot in the arm for Fresno” and “a breath of fresh air.”

It’s unclear from where the fulfillment center is relocating. Gap has at least one western U.S. fulfillment center, in Phoenix, job postings on its website shows.

The mayor has a goal of 10,000 “new, good-paying” jobs for the city. The 515 full-time jobs will start at about $32,000 annual salary.

The impact of the deal will mean about $146 million over 30 years in property and sales tax for the city, county, Fresno Unified and other special districts. That’s about $58.6 million for the city of Fresno.

“Fresno continues to build momentum as more major corporations like Gap are establishing expanding their operations in our great city. Companies know we are open for business and will help them grow,” Brand said.

Under the agreement, the 351 existing employees at the company’s current 3400 Gap Drive distribution facility will remain.

The package also includes the potential for hundreds of additional part-time or seasonal employees during peak business periods, according to the release. The company will invest at least $80 million in equipment and improvements for the fulfillment center, which will be established inside an existing building owned by the Gap at its Fresno site.

“For over 18 years, our Fresno distribution campus has played a pivotal role in providing great service to our customers,” said Shawn Curran, Gap’s executive vice president of supply chain and product ops. “It serves as a key strategic location for growth and opportunity. We consider our Fresno team members to be the very best in the business. We are thrilled to move on to the next step in our journey as we expand our operations adding 500 new jobs in the next two years.”

Curran thanked the city of Fresno for its support in the planning process.

Gap has been in Fresno since 1999 with a huge distribution facility just north of Fresno-Yosemite International Airport. Gap bought 216 acres from the city of Fresno in 1997 for $2. The site includes a 5-acre, 1.9-megawatt solar farm to power its 2 million-square-foot distribution center.

The city later paid $5.8 million plus interest over 10 years in a settlement after the Federal Aviation Administration contended the city had a duty to sell the property at market value and reinvest the money into the airport.

The new agreement with Gap is expected to go before the City Council for final approval April 5.

Brand said he expects the fulfillment center to be fully functional by next year.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article207287074.html