The BC Liquor Distribution Branch is opening a new liquor distribution centre in Delta, with an aim to triple its capacity.
The new distribution centre, located in Tilbury Industrial Park at 7003 73 Street, will replace the current centre at Broadway and Rupert Streets in Vancouver. The new centre is 400,000 square-feet, double the size of the current facility, and cost around $57-million to complete.
According to a press release, the distribution branch fills more than 335,000 wholesale orders from 10,000 customers across the province. The Delta location will likely see 60 truckloads of alcohol delivered to the centre, and 200 orders for wholesale customers leaving each day. A larger hospitality customer area will be able to see 100 pickups a day.
“Aside from being larger, the new distribution centre in Delta also has significantly more yard space, allowing us to stage trailers we can’t currently accommodate in shipping or receiving,” said Blain Lawson, general manager and CEO of the Liquor Distribution Branch.
“Even in peak season it will allow us to stock 15 days worth of product, a vast improvement over the current five days, so we can better manage and access product and get it to our customers more efficiently.”
The Delta centre is currently operating about 30 per cent capacity as the Liquor Distribution Branch transfers its operations from Vancouver to Delta. The transition will continue over the next few weeks.
Once the transition is complete, the facility will operate 24 hours a day Monday to Friday.
Although no new jobs are being added during the transition, Liquor Distribution Branch manager of communication Viviana Zanocco expects more jobs to be added as their operations expand to fill the new space.
grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
