Lifetime Brands reported plans to build a new distribution center of more than 1 million square feet in Hagerstown, MD. The company said the facility would become a responsive and efficient “cornerstone” of its operating infrastructure to service its long-term growth plan.
Lifetime Brands recently signed a lease for a newly-built 1.027-million-square-foot facility expected by the company to be completed by the second quarter of 2026, enabling the relocation of the company’s current Robbinsville, NJ, facility to the new site, which will serve as its primary East Coast distribution center.
The planned Maryland facility is expected to drive operational efficiencies through the integration of a new warehouse management system to deliver “best in class” service and efficiency, according to Lifetime Brands.
The company cited advantages of the proposed Hagerstown distribution center:
- It would increase Lifetime Brands’ current distribution capacity by 327,000 square feet.
- It abates rent for the additional 327,000 square feet for the first three years of the fifteen-year lease term.
- Abatements and incentives from the State of Maryland and Washington County, Maryland, include a real property tax abatement in Washington County, employee state withholding tax credit, conditional grants and income tax credits.
- It is expected to significantly contain Lifetime’s future distribution expenses.
Rob Kay, Lifetime’s CEO, said, “We are excited to take this first step towards realizing Lifetime’s infrastructure for the future, steered by a relocation to our new Hagerstown distribution center in Maryland and leading to the execution of the initial phase of our multi-year growth initiatives. Lifetime’s distribution centers are a core asset of our operations, and this new facility yields an expanded capacity of 327,000 square feet in a centralized location to maximize time and cost efficiencies of logistics and freight. The primary objective of this project is to optimize our current infrastructure while preserving our historical operational excellence to meet the demand volume of the anticipated future growth of our U.S. business.
“As we direct Lifetime’s modernization initiatives, we have thoughtfully considered the speed and efficiency of our operations to meet the current dynamic marketplace,” Kay continued. “This strategic move enables us to remain competitive with the long-standing value proposition we offer to retail partners and the end-market customers of our significant portfolio of home consumer product brands across the U.S. This initiative recognizes the changing nature of the current end market, our customers’ expectations for adaptability and addresses the preferred consumer and retailer shopping channels. Further, our relocation to Maryland is a preemptive measure in cost discipline to contain our future expenses.”
