Orgill set to expand Sikeston facility

SIKESTON, Mo. -- One of the biggest businesses to choose Sikeston as a location soon will grow even bigger.

Company executives from Orgill Inc., the world's largest independent distributor of home improvement products, were joined Friday by local leaders and Gov. Jay Nixon to announce plans to expand the Sikeston facility by more than 250,000 square feet.

This will mean new jobs, Nixon noted in a news release.

"It's rewarding to see firsthand how doing business in Missouri can give a company the competitive edge they need to grow," he said. "Orgill's second expansion in Sikeston will create more than 70 jobs and provide another boost to this region's economy. It's clear that more and more businesses like Orgill see the value in investing in a state with a spotless AAA rating and a workforce that's second to none."

On Aug. 3, 2009, Orgill, a hardware distributor and home improvement retail services company with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, opened the 795,000-square-foot Mid-America SuperCenter distribution facility on a 70-acre site in the Sikeston Business, Education and Technology Park.

The $10.2 million expansion, which will be added to the west side of the existing building, will bring the square footage of Orgill's Sikeston facility up to "well over a million square feet," noted Ed Dust, director of the Sikeston Department of Economic Development.

To assist Orgill with the expansion, the Missouri Department of Economic Development offered an economic incentive package the company can receive if it meets strict job creation and investment criteria.

The city of Sikeston also helped the company with its expansion -- and was glad to do so, said Mayor Jerry Pullen.

"It is a tremendous compliment to the Sikeston community that Orgill Inc. is reinforcing their commitment to us with a $10 million expansion of their facility," he said.

The Sikeston facility also is the company's largest distribution center. On a typical day, it receives 15 to 20 truckloads of inventory from a variety of manufacturers, including Rubbermaid in Jackson and Masterchem in St. Louis.

The Sikeston center processes orders and distributes 20 to 25 truckloads of products per day to hardware stores, home centers, farm and home retailers and lumberyards throughout mid-America.

The expansion will boost the Sikeston facility's capacity by 25 percent as well as increase its employment to more than 370 people, making it the company's second-largest location in terms of workforce.

The new positions primarily will include material handlers responsible for receiving products into the inventory, stocking merchandise throughout the facility, product selection to fill customer orders, compiling orders, and loading merchandise orders onto delivery trucks. Orgill also expects to hire additional truck drivers.

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, Mo.