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FORTE Designs New
Operations Center for Vera Bradley
Operations Center
and Campus to be a Tourist Attraction
November 16, 2005—-Vera Bradley, a popular handbag designer
and manufacturer, recently selected FORTE to plan and design its
new Operations Center to be part of a new Fort Wayne 300,000-square-foot
campus. FORTE has designed the new 190,000 sq. ft. operations center
for Vera Bradley to achieve efficiencies in throughput and support
its growth.
The 70-acre site will include the new Operations Center, which
will house distribution and value-added manufacturing operations.
The campus will also include an office building, and a welcome
and retail center. The campus will be landscaped with two ponds,
employee and guest walkways and a garden. Vera Bradley plans to
open the facilities to tourist groups.
Over the past five years, Vera Bradley has experienced 20 to 30
percent year-on-year growth. Currently, Vera Bradley operates from
facilities on two separate sites, which total about one-third the
proposed campus’ size.
“When we realized we had out-grown our current buildings,
bringing our facilities together was of the utmost importance,” says
Vera Bradley chief operating officer, Jill Nichols. “We at
Vera Bradley are excited about the new opportunities this facility
will bring.”
FORTE is responsible for the internal design of the Operations
Center infrastructure to support distribution operations, information
systems and material handling equipment. Vera Bradley expects to
begin distribution through the new facility in November 2006.
To support Vera Bradley’s growth until the new distribution
facility is complete, the FORTE and Vera Bradley project team designed
and implemented improvements to their existing 35,000-square-foot.
DC. Vera Bradley is already seeing the benefits from the rearrangements
and technology improvements. Picking is being managed by a new
pick-to-light system, which is delivering 99.7 percent accuracy.
These systems and additional improvements, including a WMS and
an ERP, will be implemented in the new facility.
"We have collaborated with FORTE on initial phases of this new
Operations Center project and trust their experience with growing
companies,” says Matt Wojewuczki, vice president of operations. “As
a company gets bigger, it is inevitably exposing itself to greater
risk. To mitigate that risk, we are effectively utilizing lean principles
and six sigma within manufacturing. We are looking to FORTE to assist
in ensuring success within distribution.”
About Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley is a leading designer of exclusive handbags and accessories.
Founded in 1982 by friends Barbara Baekgaard and Patricia Miller,
Vera Bradley has become synonymous with style, quality and attention
to detail. Known for its distinctive and colorful designs,
Vera Bradley effortlessly pairs fashion with function. Vera
Bradley licensed products include fine tableware, furniture, rugs
and linens, as well as rolling luggage, stationery, and eyewear.
For more information, please visit www.verabradley.com.
About FORTE
FORTE is a single-source distribution operations improvement firm
celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2005. FORTE plans, designs,
builds and optimizes automated distribution centers. Our in-house
expertise and services include distribution consulting, distribution
center reconfiguration; new automated facility development, WMS
selection and integration, network analysis and design, and RFID
planning and deployment. www.forte-industries.com.
Press Contact
William Taylor, associate director of marketing
FORTE
(513) 398-2800
www.forte-industries.com
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