O’Reilly Cuts Ribbon for New Distribution Center

An O’Reilly team member loads new products into the automated storage and retrieval system.

“We strive to have the right parts in the right places at the right time,” said Brad Beckham, CEO of O’Reilly Auto Parts. “Whether our customers are in the middle of a DIY project they have to finish to get to work the next day, or they’re a professional technician trying to return a repaired vehicle to a customer, we know a quick turnaround is important.”

The new facility replaces another O’Reilly distribution center (DC) in Forest Park, Georgia, expanding the size and creating new jobs. About 250 current O’Reilly team members have either moved to the Buford area or are commuting so they can continue their careers with the company.

“To see that many team members stay with us is truly humbling,” said Brent Kirby, president of O’Reilly Auto Parts. “We’re deeply grateful for their continued dedication. We’re all excited to be serving our stores and customers in the southeast from this larger, state-of-the-art facility.”

Relocating to the new building meant O’Reilly could incorporate the latest in automation technology. 

O’Reilly team members stock the automated storage and retrieval system as new products come into the distribution center.

“The new automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) lets us store a lot more product in a much smaller space,” said David Leonhart, vice president of O’Reilly Distribution Operations – Eastern Division. “Robots travel on tracks across and through a dense storage grid, quickly picking parts from stacked bins and delivering them to our team members.”

Along with increasing efficiency, the robotic system should also mean even greater order accuracy. As each tote delivers parts, O’Reilly team members validate that what’s on their screen matches what’s been pulled. “Our team members have been excited to work with the ASRS, which brings the parts to them instead of them always going to the parts,” said Danny Smith, manager of the Buford distribution center. 

The automatic system also increases the need for skilled workers. Engineers will service and support the unit, and quality assurance team members will reconcile the inventory each day.

Automation is just one part of the new DC, which also features traditional shelving, forklifts, conveyor belts and manual order pulling. Potentially hazardous material is kept in a separate area. “Safety is baked into everything we do,” said Jeff Loafman, O’Reilly senior vice president of Distribution Operations. “We want to protect our team members and the community. Each of our DCs has a ‘red room’ where we store any products that are highly flammable or could pose an environmental hazard if spilled in large amounts. In the event of an emergency, we can quickly seal off those rooms and contain what’s inside.”

As O’Reilly Auto Parts has grown, its distribution network has expanded to 31 large distribution centers across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, including one in Puerto Rico. Work is underway on two other O’Reilly DCs –a new facility in Stafford, Virginia, and an expansion in Lakeland, Florida.

“With all the growth that’s happened since our company’s founding with one store in 1957, what’s so exciting to me is that most of our growth is still ahead of us,” Beckham said. “This is our latest step in providing the best service to more people in more places.”