Promotional products industry supplier Jetline has finalized plans to relocate print and warehousing operations to expanded facilities located in the Spartanburg, S.C. metropolitan area beginning later this fall. The 147,000 square foot facility, located 15 minutes northeast of Spartanburg in Gaffney, S.C., will provide Jetline with the ability to substantially improve both production capacity as well as inventory stock levels to match increased demand associated with the success of the company’s free 24-hour rush program. The company expects to begin a phased relocation later this fall and anticipates completion of the expansion in the spring of 2010. Executive offices, internal sales, marketing and certain back-office functions will continue at the current Mount Vernon, N.Y. location.
“The South Carolina plant expansion will allow Jetline to service our growing customer base with significantly greater inventory, additional decoration techniques and more of the reliable and free rush service that our customers have come to expect from us,” said company president Eric Levin. “Strategically, the South Carolina location provides us with the ability to ship to essentially half of the entire country via standard two day ground -service. This brings new markets into our shipping ‘sweet spot’—we’re talking about a region from Connecticut to Wisconsin to Missouri to Miami, Florida.” Levin continued, “The new plant location, combined with our free 24-hour rush service, means that we can deliver on Thursday a product ordered Monday to half of the country without any additional rush or expedited freight charges.”
The phased relocation will consist of overlapping operations to ensure a seamless customer experience. “Our preparations for this plant expansion have been in the works for well over a year,” said company vice president Bill Pardue. “The goal is to maintain a consistently high level of service throughout the transition.” Pardue, who brings plant expansion experience from his tenure at industry supplier Bulletline, will be responsible for the relocation.
Despite the relocation of many positions, overall staffing levels are expected to increase consistent with the sustained growth in sales that Jetline has recognized over the past two years.
Levin concluded, “We are excited about the South Carolina plant and the additional value it will enable us to provide to the marketplace. I am confident that this expansion will position us to make important steps in our ongoing quest to deliver the highest possible level of service and product offerings to our invaluable customers.”
