AURORA | WinWholesale, one of the nation’s largest distributors of construction and industrial supplies, broke ground Tuesday on a 242,000 square-foot facility in Aurora that will serve as the regional hub for the industrial supply company. The center is expected to open its doors in 2013.
The company is based in Dayton, Ohio, and selected the location based on the attraction that company had to the city and county.
“Regardless of whether the economy is growing or shrinking, we’ve always worked hard to retain and attract as many new jobs as possible to Adams County. Aurora is a great example of how that excellent retention program that the city has attracts new companies like WinWholesale,” said Barry Gore, president of Adams County Economic Development.
The facility employs about 30 people, officials said, and there may be more coming. Chuck Manker, spokesman for WinWholesale, said adding new jobs was part of the plan.
“We do expect growth, or we wouldn’t be building this thing in the first place,” he said.
Kelly Lovato, regional distribution center general manager for WinWholesale Sourcing Services, said his facility serves as a blank canvas to grow the business.
“We’re very excited because we’re starting from scratch. We’ll be able to actually revise all our processes, set up the distribution center in a new fashion that’ll be more efficient for us,” he said.
“We’re starting from scratch — it’s kind of a clean slate, and I’m surrounding myself with a lot of good people to help me get this up and going,” Lovato added.
For WinWholesale CEO Rick Schwartz, the groundbreaking was a bit of a homecoming.
The retired U.S. Air Force Leiutenant Colonel was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver when the base was still operating, and said his first house was in Denver.
“I feel like I’m somewhat returning home again,” he said.
Schwartz underscored the growth at his company at the event, saying that the Aurora center joins three others in Ohio, Connecticut and Virginia.
“It’s a big project for us. We’re a nearly $2 billion company with over 530 local companies in 44 states,” he said. “The need for this distribution center is certainly evidence for (our growth). The West has always been, and continues to be, a key market for us.”
For Aurora, the new addition to the ProLogis Park near East Smith Road and Gun Club Road is welcome news after high economic expectations in 2012 were tempered with difficult realities.
Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said the new center was evidence of the city’s and Aurora Economic Development Council’s hard work.
“This is another good news story for the city of Aurora … we’re a business-friendly community and these kinds of opportunities just drive it home,” Hogan said at the event. “These kinds of things don’t just happen, they happen because this city wants to be friendly to business. These are the kinds of things we want in Aurora, Colorado.”
WinWholesale, along with outside vendors, is a collective supplier of The Win Group of Companies. Those companies include; Winair, an HVAC and refrigeration company; Winwater, a water works supplier; Windustrial, an industrial pipe, valves and fittings company; and others within the group. In 2011, the company reported revenue of $1.76 billion, according to officials.
The facility replaces a leased facility in Denver that was only around half the size of the new center, according to officials. The Aurora facility will have 32 loading dock doors, three loading ramps and may eventually add 20-30 new employees, according to officials.
“We’re almost going to double our size so we’re going to need some good people,” Lovato said.