National specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op announced it will build a distribution center in Lebanon, Tennessee, to support growth on the East Coast and in the Midwest and South. Expected to open in fall 2023, the building and its operations will address the employee experience, community engagement and environmental impact.
REI’s Lebanon distribution center will be approximately 400,000 square feet and employ more than 280 staff. Situated on 41 acres in Wilson County, the facility will be one mile from I-40 and three miles from downtown Lebanon at 1400 Murfreesboro Road.
The location will reduce shipping times to fulfill customers’ online purchases and be able to support more than 70 REI stores. Nearly 5.6 million REI members live in the service area of the distribution center.
REI selected Lebanon after looking at several other locations in the south and considering key factors that included general population statistics, job market potential, construction readiness, existing regional environmental commitments, and cost to build.
The Lebanon facility will complement REI’s three existing distribution centers in Bedford, Pennsylvania; Goodyear, Arizona; and Sumner, Washington. Notably, the Bedford and Goodyear locations are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s
