Follett to open new distribution center in Aurora

OAK BROOK — Follett Higher Education Group, which provides new and used textbooks to schools nationwide, is opening a new distribution center in Aurora that will enable the company to continue to grow its business.

The 551,200-square-foot structure will increase Follett’s processing productivity to make more books available for wholesale and direct-to-consumer orders.

“This is one of many investments Follett is making to provide even better service to our customers,” said Tom Christopher, president of Follett Higher Education Group.  “We are always looking for ways to enhance our service and our new facility will continue to promote our mission of helping our brick-and-mortar and online stores become world-class academic retailers.”

Follett will create a single distribution center that will also feature new headquarters for both its wholesale and virtual bookstore businesses.  Follett’s current River Grove distribution center is processing 5 million more units per year than the facility’s original capacity.

Follett’s Aurora facility will feature material handling technology from Kiva Systems, Inc.  The order fulfillment system will use hundreds of mobile robots that will pick up and move inventory pods directly to order pickers.  This “goods-to-person” technology will increase productivity, improve accuracy and enable a level of customer service unprecedented in the industry.

Follett will begin moving its Virtual Bookstore operations this November and will continue the transition of its operations through 2013.