Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:W), one of the world’s largest online destinations for the home, today announced plans to open a new 1.2 million square foot fulfillment center in Romeoville. The new facility, to be located on a 60 acre parcel of land along Renwick Road, will further strengthen the company’s distribution footprint in Illinois. The company plans to hire more than 250 full-time roles with peak employment eventually approaching 500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring with a projected opening in mid 2022.
“Our new fulfillment center in Romeoville will enable us to further scale our excellent shopping experience to meet the needs of our rapidly growing customer base in the greater Chicago region and across the U.S.,” said Thomas Netzer, Chief Operating Officer, Wayfair. “We are excited to join the Romeoville community and look forward to welcoming top talent from the region to join our world-class logistics team.”
In January, Wayfair announced a minimum wage of $15 per hour for all U.S. employees. In addition to market-leading compensation, Wayfair offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes equity, 401K matching, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, paid time off, medical and dental insurance, an employee discount across all Wayfair sites, and more. Wayfair plans to begin filling roles at its new Romeoville location in mid to late 2022.
“Online retail continues to be the dominant force in the market today,” said Romeoville Mayor John Noak. “We are happy to welcome one of the biggest players in e-commerce, Wayfair, as the newest member of our business community. Facilities such as this are large property and sales tax generators, which provide additional funding to our schools and other taxing bodies.”
“We’re pleased to welcome Wayfair’s new logistics hub to Illinois, an e-commerce distribution center that will bring shipping efficiencies to their customers all around the country while creating up to 500 jobs for the residents who call our state home,” said Dan Hynes, Deputy Governor of Illinois. “Once again, Illinois is a top choice for companies seeking to expand and innovate – thanks to our skilled talent, proximity to transportation, and resources found only here in our state. Today’s investments by Wayfair are a vote of confidence in Illinois, and we look forward to partnering with company officials, the Village of Romeoville, and other local leaders to maximize the full benefits of this project for the community.”
In advance of this project, the Village of Romeoville partnered with Illinois State Senator John Connor to secure funding for a road extension. As part of that plan, Pinnacle Drive will be connected from Airport Road to Renwick Road, which will give traffic an alternative to using Weber Road or Route 53. The extension is being funded by a grant from the Build Illinois Program. It will cover the new section of Pinnacle, acquisition of land for the road, and a signalized intersection at Pinnacle and Renwick.
"I'm pleased that a national e-commerce employer like Wayfair has chosen Pinnacle Drive to build its flagship logistics center,” said State Senator Connor. “Congratulations to Mayor Noak and the Village of Romeoville on creating local jobs that look to the future e-commerce economy and will be here for decades to come. We are excited to welcome Wayfair to the community."
In addition to providing all employees with highly competitive compensation and benefits, Wayfair believes in supporting the local communities in which its employees live and work. Over the past year, Wayfair invested more than $12 million in the greater community, including $3 million in small businesses, providing hundreds of thousands of meals for its employees and their families from local restaurants that were struggling due to the pandemic.
About Wayfair
Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home they love. Through technology and innovation, Wayfair makes it possible for shoppers to quickly and easily find exactly what they want from a selection of more than 18 million items across home furnishings, décor, home improvement, housewares and more. Committed to delighting its customers every step of the way, Wayfair is reinventing the way people shop for their homes - from product discovery to final delivery.
The Wayfair family of sites includes:
- Wayfair - All things home, all in one place.
- Joss & Main - Stylish designs to discover daily.
- AllModern - The best of modern, priced for real life.
- Birch Lane - Classic home. Comfortable cost.
- Perigold - The widest-ever selection of luxury home furnishings.
Wayfair generated $13.0 billion in net revenue for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout North America and Europe, the company employs more than 16,700 people.