Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS, two Los Angeles-based brands owned by Color Image Apparel, will open a 717,000 square foot warehouse distribution center in North East, Cecil County, MD that will create hundreds of jobs for local residents and opportunities for neighboring vendors and businesses in the county.
The customized distribution center in North East, has a target date to run operations by Mid-August 2021 for its brands Alo Yoga, a premium lifestyle brand that specializes in activewear and wellness products and BELLA+CANVAS, an innovator in the wholesale space for blank apparel, that just recently launched retail.
“We are thrilled to be part of the community and look forward to creating jobs and opportunities for many,” said Chris Blakeslee, president of Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS. “After an exhaustive search project, we ultimately concluded that our new location in Cecil County, MD, specifically North East, was not only the best to enhance our delivery footprint and customer service levels, but also the best in terms of support from the local government and access to great team members.”
Strategically located between Baltimore and Philadelphia, Cecil County is split by the C&D Canal, one of the busiest shipping canals in the world, connecting the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay and providing access to major seaports. This is what makes it home to industry leaders, including Northrop Grumman, Amazon and Ikea.
“As our town continues to grow, we are excited for the new job opportunities that Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS will bring to our town as well as the surrounding community, '' said Michael Klein, mayor of North East. “We look forward to developing a strong partnership with the Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS family as they grow their brand and become an integral part of our community.”
Blakeslee said its state-of-the-art facility will use robotics, intelligent conveyors and sorters that will be WRAP certified to ensure the highest standards of safety and cleanliness for its employees. The companies are committed to maintaining and upholding responsible workplace and environmental standards, with all of its U.S. production and office facilities having received Platinum accreditation from WRAP, and only working with partners who share the company's values of a humane and safe workplace.
The Color Image Apparel brands have partnered with Radial, a prominent third party logistics company, to manage its North East, MD facility.
“Radial is excited and eager to partner with Color Image Apparel, supporting both high end lifestyle brands; Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS, '' said Alex Keyer, vice president of fulfilment services of Radial. “We see this opportunity to expand together in Cecil County as the perfect fit to create more jobs in a wonderful community while enhancing the Alo Yoga and BELLA+CANVAS customer experience at the same time.”
Job seekers should visit www.radial.com/about/careers to view open positions for Alo Yoga & BELLA+CANVAS. Closer to August 2021, the list of openings will grow significantly as it approaches its mid-August target opening date.