AMSOIL has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past few years thanks to the collective efforts of our independent Dealers and the corporate team. Strong growth brings new opportunities and new challenges, both of which necessitate change. Therefore, to improve efficiencies and keep pace with projected future growth, we are making some changes to our distribution network. Effective Oct. 31, 2024, the AMSOIL distribution centers in Richmond, Va. and Wichita, Kan. will close.
The Lancaster, Pa. Distribution Center is moving to a new, much larger facility, which will allow us to expand the team there and implement advanced technologies that will enable us to pick, pack and ship orders faster. Customers previously served by the Richmond DC will now be served by the Lancaster DC. Customers previously served by the Wichita DC will now be served by either the Dallas, Las Vegas or Chicago DC, all of which moved to new, larger locations in the past two years.
How will customers be affected?
We expect minimal impact to delivery times. Most customers in the Wichita and Richmond regions will continue receiving orders in the timeframe they are accustomed to; however, some orders will take slightly longer to reach some customers. We remain committed to our goal to deliver orders within two-three business days.
What should I do?
Communicate these changes proactively to any customers or accounts who regularly pick up orders at the Richmond or Wichita distribution centers. If you have customers who live close to one of those DCs and are accustomed to receiving orders the same day, make sure they know orders will likely take slightly longer to reach them so they know what to expect.
What are the benefits of these changes?
The Richmond and Wichita DCs have limited capacities, which limits the amount of product we can maintain and the size of the team we can have on site. Moving to larger facilities allows us to maintain higher volumes of product in the field, which will help prevent backorders and separate shipments from other DCs, and implement advanced technologies that will further improve efficiencies and speed. It also alleviates significant staffing challenges that are unavoidable in smaller DCs. When the total team is only five strong, unexpected absences due to illness or other unforeseen, unavoidable issues seriously affect our ability to meet service expectations. A larger facility with a larger team makes these situations far less difficult to manage and allows us to better serve our customers.
We continually monitor and evaluate all aspects of our business to optimize and improve wherever possible. We thoroughly examined the effects of these changes and consulted with external experts to confirm these changes were necessary and beneficial to Dealers and customers. Ultimately, maintaining distribution centers in Richmond and Wichita no longer makes sense and would not allow us to maintain a high level of service and speed as the company grows.
For more information, read the FAQs here.
