Ribbon-cutting at another Hayneedle.com facility in 2010. (Photo Credit: John Beagle/Flickr)
It appears the city of Riverside, including the thousands of folks who are still of work, is getting an early holiday gift: Hayneedle, the fourth largest online seller of exclusive home and outdoor furniture, is now calling the Inland Empire city home. The distribution and fulfillment center will bring lots of joy and happiness in the form of jobs, for many in an area hit hard during the recession.
Right now, Riverside’s unemployment rate is 11.6 percent, down just .1 percent from September and a bit more than California’s unemployment rate of 10.1 percent. At its peak, in January 2010, the unemployment rate was 14.5 percent. So this is welcome news not only for the city, but for the region as well.
This spring, Hayneedle will begin leasing 300,000 square feet in the Sycamore Canyon area of eastern Riverside to ship orders in the western U.S.
“We are very excited to join the Riverside community, which has been very enthusiastic in welcoming us,” said Tom Clement, Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics for Hayneedle.
Hayneedle.com is the place to find everything you need for your home: from patio furniture to platform beds, coffee tables and let’s not forget cuckoo clocks. The company delivers to 70 percent of its customers in two days and expects to increase that number to 90 percent with the opening of the Riverside distribution center.
“The West Coast facility is yet another milestone in our growth and the location aligns with our commitment to provide unparalleled selection and umatched customer service,” said Clement.
The new facility is set to open in spring of next year with a starting team of 20 associates, however that number is expected to double within a few years. Most of the hiring will be done at the turn of the year.
Over the years, the Inland Empire city has worked hard to attract businesses and it’s thanks in part to its strategic plan called Business First. City officials work to ensure businesses have the support they need and the city has also fast tracked permitting and reviews as well as handing out commercial building permit rebates.
“This is excellent news. Our economic development team is working as we continue to attract quality firms like Hayneedle and help businesses create jobs for our community,” said Economic Development Manager, Larry Vaupel.
Rolling out the red carpet has proved to work this time for the city and the region.
