By George Berkheimer for the Bedford Gazette
When outdoor recreation retailer REI was looking for a second distribution location to replenish stores on the eastern half of the United States faster and more frequently, Bedford emerged as the obvious choice.
Since opening its doors in 2007, the 525,000 square foot REI distribution center has grown to employ 300, running seven days a week across three shifts. It supports the replenishment of 47 stores and fulfills online orders for customers in the northeast and some international orders as part of a network of four distribution centers throughout the US.
Tina Molski, who was the second employee hired by the REI distribution center and now serves as its director of operations, said there were four reasons that Bedford stood out.
“The I-99 corridor and the Pennsylvania Turnpike make it efficient to bring freight in and ship it back out,” she said. “We also interviewed several local companies and had a consistent response that the workforce in Bedford County was excellent, and we’ve found this to be true.”
The location provides easy access to outdoor recreation, she added, including three state parks, thousands of acres of State Forest and State Game Lands, and a network of water, hiking and cycling trails, all of which are central to REI’s focus.
And finally, she said, the Bedford County Development Association was prepared for the company’s arrival.
“BCDA had a pad-ready site available, which significantly reduced the time needed to get our distribution center built and up and running,” Molski said.
Growing Demand
The operation’s biggest growth has been tied to online ordering, and recently REI responded to that demand with a substantial technology upgrade, introducing a pocket sortation system that created additional capacity to process and ship orders quickly.
“The new system significantly increases our ability to flex up to higher demand periods, like our bigger sales,” Molski said. “We can fulfill and ship customer orders within approximately 24 hours. Today’s consumer appreciates that convenience, and it has been a huge success for our operation.”
A modern distribution center like REI needs a competent workforce, and Bedford County’s labor pool has no difficulty meeting that need, Molski said.
“It was really apparent when we hit our facility’s 15-year anniversary and approximately 50 of our employees were also celebrating their 15-year anniversary with REI,” she said. “The following year we had approximately 50 additional employees celebrating their 15-year anniversaries as well.”
Although REI discontinued Community Based Vocational Training programs for high school students during the pandemic and hasn’t restarted that activity, it still supports local workforce development in other ways.
“We are open to and have provided countless tours of our distribution center to Leadership Bedford County, Youth Leadership Bedford County, teachers, Penn State University students, international students and many other groups,” Molski said.
Authentic Location
With its focus on outdoor recreation, Molski said REI strives to be authentic in deciding where to locate distribution centers and how to get involved in the local communities that support them.
Since 2007, REI has held 119 service projects in Bedford County, provided $330,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations, and has established relationships with 50 community partners.
Outside of her responsibilities at REI, Molski serves on the Board of Directors for the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. She’s also a member of the Elevate Steering Committee and the Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania Advisory Committee.
“My husband Jim and I love the outdoors and take advantage of the hiking, cycling and camping resources we’ve found here,” Molski said. “We love the dark skies at night, the generally light traffic, and it’s been fantastic to see new businesses continuing to open and invest in Bedford. It’s been the perfect place for us, and for REI.”