Walking the talk

The introduction of new products proved very popular among members, and business steadily climbed. The co-op responded by increasing its safety stock. As members became accustomed to options like seasonal colours and specialized sizing, SKU counts grew and product lifecycles shrank.

MEC found itself handling more volume, variety and turnover than ever before. The scattered and crowded three-site warehouse system was no longer sufficient.

“That was very stressful,” recalls Alan Fitterer, MEC’s vice-president of logistics. “You lose your mind and burn people out that way.”

It was time to move to a single DC big enough to handle the business.

Plotting a new trail
The change started in earnest when MEC bought a 16-acre plot in Surrey in April 2006. The land was ample for future expansion and was seismically sound—a big consideration on the earthquake-prone west coast.

The property included a 70,000sqf central building with two structures attached. The buildings needed work, but MEC saw potential. Instead of razing it all and starting from scratch, why not build on what was there?

“We wanted to put a high-bay section up and use the buildings that were here for the rest,” Fitterer says.

This would require expert help. After a comprehensive selection process, MEC hired two Vancouver-based firms, Bunting Coady Architects and Ledcor Construction, to design and construct the new facility, respectively. Both companies won out by demonstrating a willingness to adhere to one of the most important pillars of MEC’s operations: sustainability.

MEC retail stores are equipped with a host of environmentally friendly features, from green roofs to gear recycling depots. The co-op monitors and benchmarks the greenhouse gas emissions from all its facilities and the transportation of its goods. It has started pressuring carriers and 3PLs to do the same. So when it came time to build a new DC, finding partners with a real commitment to sustainable design was a priority.

Teresa Coady, CEO and founding partner of Bunting Coady, explains the unique motivation behind the co-op’s environmental mandate.

“Because MEC’s members are out in the wilderness on the weekends, they come back to the city and are very, very aware of the harm that we’re causing to our environment,” she says. “There really is a direct connection between their business and protecting the environment.”

Bumps on the path
Designing the building involved a lot of back-and-forth dialogue between MEC, Bunting Coady and Ledcor. The collaborative process balanced the co-op’s lofty environmental goals and operational needs with more practical considerations.