Imperial moving to 150,000-square-foot distribution center in Granite Industrial Park

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 7, 2021

SALISBURY — A major company with a local distribution warehouse is moving to a larger location and bringing more jobs with it.

Imperial Supplies, a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 company W.W. Grainger, is moving its warehouse from its Litton Drive location to Granite Industrial Park. The move will more than triple the size of the warehouse, jumping from 48,000 to 150,000 square feet.

The trucking supplier will have more automation and high-density storage at the new facility, but it is bringing new jobs to the warehouse as well, anticipating hiring 20 new positions at the new location.

An Imperial spokesperson said the company is expecting the new center to be up and running this month with a grand opening this summer that will follow COVID-19 guidelines at the time. The company does not expect the move will disrupt its services.

“Our goal is to continue to serve our customers that need a fleet maintenance supplier that can deliver parts quickly and efficiently,” Imperial Vice President of Human Resources Jenny Lowe said in a statement. “With the expanded facility and our innovative storage system, we look forward to continuing to provide excellent customer service with talent from the local area.”

The company is hiring positions with medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance benefits, as well as 18 days of paid time off and six paid holidays annually, a retirement plan and education reimbursements.

The industrial park is the youngest in Rowan County, with the warehouse facility completed in late 2018. The new location warehouse is one of five distribution centers in the country.

W.W. Grainger is a worldwide supply company based in Illinois with millions of customers and more than 25,000 employees.

About Carl Blankenship

Carl Blankenship has covered education for the Post since December 2019. Before coming to Salisbury he was a staff writer for The Avery Journal-Times in Newland and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017, where he was editor of The Appalachian.

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