WILMER, Texas—Yokohama Tire Corp. plans to open a 430,000-sq.-ft. distribution center this summer near Dallas to allow the company to supply dealers in this strategically important part of the country.
The new D/C—YTC's fourth in the U.S.—will be in Wilmer, a town of about 3,700 inhabitants located about 15 miles southeast of Dallas near the intersection of Interstates 20 and 45. YTC's other warehouses are in Chino, Calif.; Groveport, Ohio; and Auburn, Ga.
The center will be used initially to distribute Yokohama's OE tires, followed by passenger car/light truck and commercial truck/bus products in 2022.
"Yokohama is customer-focused, so we are always looking for ways to minimize the amount of time from when an order is placed to when we can deliver it to a dealer," said Rick Alonzo, YTC's vice president of supply chain and logistics.
"One of our biggest goals is to elevate our customer service and the new location in Texas will accomplish that. We'll have better control of having the right products in the right place at the right time, which is a huge benefit for dealers."
"We are excited about the partnership with Yokohama Tire and are committed to delivery on the expected timeline for development of this site," Wilmer Mayor Sheila Petta said.
Yokohama worked with Los Angeles-based commercial real estate and service and investment firm Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis to secure the land. The developer of the distribution center is Duke Realty, based in Indianapolis.