Inventory & Fulfillment

Inventory & Fulfillment

Amazon closes Port St. Lucie FC, lays off 300 amid $200M renovation

Amazon has closed its Port St. Lucie, Florida fulfillment center for a major renovation, affecting 494 employees initially. Of these, 200 transferred internally, while around 300 accepted severance. The company will invest $200 million to expand the facility by 870,000 square feet and add AI and robotics capabilities. The renovated center is set to reopen in the second half of 2028 and hire more than 1,000 workers. Local agencies have supported displaced staff through job fairs, and county officials emphasized the need for diversified business attraction strategies.

2026-09-18

Inventory & Fulfillment

Stockbridge Acquires Amazon Warehouse for $86.5M in Romeoville

An affiliate of Stockbridge Capital Group acquired an Amazon fulfillment center in Romeoville for $86.5M, closing Thursday. The 767K SF warehouse was previously valued at $58.1M when BGRE acquired it in 2024. Other major deals included Blatteis & Schnur's $19.2M purchase of Paper Box Lofts, a $7.8M retail acquisition in Highland Park, and Axiom Properties' $67.2M sale of two suburban apartment complexes. Sterling Bay and Ascentris secured a $93.5M refinance for The Elizabeth, completed in 2024. The DePaul Real Estate Center's 2026 housing affordability forum is scheduled for Oct. 22.

2026-09-17

Inventory & Fulfillment

Stockbridge buys Amazon-leased Illinois warehouse for $86.5M

Stockbridge Capital acquired an Amazon-leased warehouse at 1125 Remington Blvd. in Romeoville, Illinois, for $86.5 million on September 14, 2026. The single-tenant industrial asset is fully occupied by Amazon and represents a notable transaction amid rising industrial deal activity near Chicago. Cushman & Wakefield’s Adam Tyler, Michael Tenteris, and Jim Carpenter served as Vice Chairs advising the seller. The sale underscores sustained institutional demand for core e-commerce logistics infrastructure in key U.S. distribution markets.

2026-09-16

Inventory & Fulfillment

Shein opens 737,000-sq-ft automated warehouse in Indiana

Shein has launched a 737,000-square-foot automated distribution center in Lebanon, Indiana, set to begin operations this month. The facility uses a goods-to-person system to improve efficiency and worker safety. It expands Shein’s U.S. footprint, which already includes 2.5 million square feet of fulfillment space across Indiana. The center was announced in a Sept. 10, 2026 press release and reported by Supply Chain Dive on Sept. 14, 2026. Operations build on Shein’s prior presence in Whitestown, Indiana, documented as active as of July 30, 2023.

2026-09-15

Inventory & Fulfillment

Crescent Electric CEO to Retire in April 2027, Names New Supply Chain Chief

Crescent Electric Supply Co. announced on Sept. 10 that CEO Penny Cotner will retire in April 2027—18 months after starting Oct. 1, 2025. Board Chair Mike Sullivan confirmed a national search for her successor. Concurrently, Kristee Mitchell was promoted to Chief Supply Chain Officer effective Aug. 31, expanding oversight across fulfillment, distribution centers, and transportation. The East Dubuque–based firm operates 140+ branches across 28 U.S. states and ranked No. 13 on MDM’s 2026 Electrical Top Distributors List.

2026-09-13

Inventory & Fulfillment

Amazon plans $1B Holbrook warehouse amid resident opposition

Residents of Holbrook, New York, are mobilizing against Amazon’s planned $1 billion, 4.2-million-square-foot fulfillment center on 140 acres — set to be the company’s largest on Long Island and 21 times bigger than its current Syosset facility (200,000 sq ft). Amazon projects 1,000 jobs and submitted its first application to Islip Town in July, though revisions remain pending. Over 120 attendees opposed the plan at an August fire department meeting; 50–60 residents launched a formal coalition at Sachem Public Library. Concerns center on traffic, noise, and environmental loss — especially pines and wetlands. Amazon says it welcomes community input and has adapted past projects accordingly.

2026-09-12

Inventory & Fulfillment

Amazon sued over pregnancy accommodation denials, 99.9% approval claim disputed

Four former Amazon warehouse workers filed a nationwide class-action lawsuit in Brooklyn, N.Y., alleging systemic denial of pregnancy accommodations in violation of the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Plaintiff Jennifer Hatch, employed in Lancaster, N.Y., was denied a 30-pound lifting restriction and 15-minute sitting breaks in January 2025; she was fired after seeking hospital care for pregnancy-related pain. Amazon claims it approved more than 99.9% of pregnancy accommodations over the past year. The law took effect in June 2023 but faces legal challenges, including a Texas lawsuit questioning its December 2022 passage. Advocacy group A Better Balance, which spearheaded the law’s decade-long campaign, calls the denials illegal and discriminatory.

2026-09-11

Inventory & Fulfillment

ZF CEO: China electric truck share at 30%, to hit 50%

ZF CEO Mathias Miedreich declared China the 'center of gravity' for electric-truck technology on September 9, 2026, citing a current 30% market share poised to reach 50%. In contrast, Europe remains in the low single digits. ZF plans to leverage China’s rapid adoption while supporting hybrid tech in Europe. The firm took a $1.9 billion charge last year after losses on electric passenger-car drives and is cutting thousands of jobs. Key Chinese competitors include BYD, Geely, and Windrose Technology.

2026-09-10

Inventory & Fulfillment

UNHCR Seeks Logistics Partners for CAR Warehouse Operations by 27-Sep-2026

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has opened a call for expressions of interest (EOIs) for logistics support and warehouse management in Kémo-Gribingui, Central African Republic, with a deadline of 27-Sep-2026. The AMI 005 initiative covers emergency logistics, fleet and generator maintenance, fuel storage and distribution, procurement support, and safe transportation. Applicants must demonstrate local presence, security capacity, and commitment to localisation. Four related UNHCR and UNICEF EOIs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Malaysia share September 2026 deadlines.

2026-09-10

Inventory & Fulfillment

PDD Holdings scales local fulfillment amid EU’s €3/item duty

PDD Holdings is scaling local fulfillment and onboarding high-quality local merchants in the EU to offset the impact of a new €3 customs duty on items worth €150 or less—effective July 1, 2026, and scheduled to remain in place until 2028. Co-CEO Lei Chen described the change as creating "a considerable impact" on parts of the business, prompting replication of its U.S. post-de minimis strategy. The move underscores a deliberate shift toward geographically proximate supply chains in response to tightening cross-border trade rules.

2026-09-09

Inventory & Fulfillment

La-Z-Boy invests $23M in Missouri manufacturing expansion, distribution hub

La-Z-Boy plans a $23 million investment to expand manufacturing and build a 150,000-square-foot distribution center in Neosho, Missouri — expected to create up to 100 jobs. The project, announced in an Aug. 31 press release, qualifies for $356,304 in Missouri Works Program tax credits. It forms part of the company’s multiyear distribution overhaul and strengthens its U.S. supply chain network. Melinda Whittington, president and CEO, emphasized improved operational efficiency and consumer experience.

2026-09-09

Inventory & Fulfillment

Descartes acquires Extensiv for $120M to expand 3PL tech

Descartes Systems Group acquired Extensiv, a California-based warehouse management and fulfillment technology provider, for $120 million on September 01, 2026. Funded with cash on hand, the deal follows Descartes’ $100 million acquisition of Tai and expands its offerings for third-party logistics providers. The company also acquired Drivin for $30 million in July and Idelic for $28 million in April. Descartes will report fiscal Q2 2027 results on September 10, 2026. The integration aims to enable logistics service providers to scale using a single technology platform rather than multiple vendors.

2026-09-02