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Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Backcountry.com, the largest online specialty retailer of premium outdoor gear, will invest more than $20 million to establish a fulfillment center in Montgomery County. The Utah-based company’s east-coast presence, which will be located in Falling Branch Corporate Park, will create more than 200 new jobs.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “Backcountry.com is a well-known outdoor retailer, and I am thrilled they have selected Virginia as home to their east-coast operations and are making a significant investment in our community. Montgomery County is a progressive, technology-driven community that provides numerous outdoor recreational opportunities to its residents due to the proximity to the Appalachian Trail and the Washington-Jefferson National Forest. Backcountry.com will be right at home here. I know they will find no shortage of customers in the region, and they’ll have no problem finding motivated, innovative and dynamic Virginia employees who identify with, and are passionate about, their mission and vision.”
“Montgomery County and Virginia gain a great corporate partner with this impressive project,” said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “The addition of more than 200 new employment opportunities is welcome news for the region, and I have every confidence that Backcountry.com will become part of the outdoor niche in the Commonwealth.”
Backcountry.com operates ten online specialty retail stores: Backcountry.com, SteepandCheap.com, Dogfunk.com, WhiskeyMilitia.com, CompetitiveCyclist.com, RealCyclist.com, Bonktown.com, HuckNroll.com, Chainlove.com, and DepartmentofGoods.com, which, combined, sell more than 1,000 brands. Backcountry.com is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB).
“We started small in Utah, and Utah has been our operations base for 14 years. Amazing customer service and blisteringly fast fulfillment are two cornerstones of our business, and as we’ve grown, it has become very clear to us that to serve our customers nationwide, we need an East Coast fulfillment center,” said Jill Layfield, CEO of Backcountry.com. “When deciding on a location, Virginia just made sense. It’s not only a strategically viable location operationally, it’s a beautiful place where outdoor sports are part of the lifestyle, and that’s important to us.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Montgomery County, the Town of Christiansburg and the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McDonnell approved a $300,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Montgomery County with the project. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide funding and services to support the company’s recruitment, training and retraining activities.
“The state of Virginia, Montgomery County and Christiansburg proved to us that this is where we should do business,” said Layfield. “Their support of and commitment to Backcountry.com has been remarkable, and that is only a sign of their larger commitment to the people of the area.”
“Montgomery County is pleased to welcome Backcountry.com,” said Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Politis. “This is a prime location for a distribution hub for the East Coast, and the company will be creating hundreds of jobs. Backcountry.com also fits in very well with our region’s abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.”
