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Executives from Do it Best Corp. joined civic and economic development leaders from the city of Sikeston, Mo., Scott County and the state of Missouri at an event recently to celebrate the official grand opening of the co-op’s new Retail Service Center (RSC) in Sikeston.
Bob Taylor, president and CEO of Do it Best Corp., and Sikeston Mayor Jerry Pullen cut the ribbon on the 550,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, which employs more than 130 and serves as the co-op’s strategic hub for product distribution to members throughout the Midwest and central United States. The Sikeston RSC replaces a previous facility in nearby Cape Girardeau, Mo., which was built in 1971 and was the first Do it Best Corp. distribution center outside the co-op’s home in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“Although our Cape location allowed us to effectively serve our members for more than four decades, we knew we could do even better,” Taylor said. “This new Sikeston facility brings additional efficiencies as we look to accommodate future growth in the region and serve even more independent entrepreneurs. With the integration of new technology and improved workflows built into this facility, the Sikeston RSC shipped its first product—on schedule and under budget—with a 98 percent fill rate on its very first day. “Thanks to the support of the city of Sikeston and the state of Missouri,” Taylor added, “we are proud to officially open this RSC. This is an exciting day.”
“The city of Sikeston is very excited to welcome Do it Best Corp. as the newest member of our business community,” Pullen said. “The co-op’s size and scope, the professionalism of everyone at the company and enthusiasm of its member-owners affirmed that we have an excellent business partner in Do it Best Corp. We thank them for their commitment to Sikeston, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”
“I couldn’t be happier with the opening of the Sikeston RSC,” said Frank Blair, owner of Schnarr’s Hardware Company in Ladue, Mo. “I’m proud to be a member-owner of a co-op that is such a good steward of our investment and is so committed to maintaining the lowest cost of operations in our industry. The Sikeston center will provide independent Do it Best hardware stores, home centers, lumberyards, e-tailers and industrial/commercial businesses with a wide selection of competitively-priced products for our diverse customers.”
The Sikeston RSC represents a $34 million capital investment and stocks $22 million in inventory. The 67,000 unique products in the center are available to Do it Best Corp. member-owners in Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska and Tennessee.
