Late last month, the first parcel shipped from NRI’s newly minted Montreal facility – four days ahead of plans. The 90,000 square foot facility in the Kirkland area forms the cornerstone of NRI’s east coast base. We caught up with NRI Director of Accounts Ryan Dale-Johnson to see how the new facility is working for NRI and its clients.
Why did NRI decide to open a new facility in Montreal?
We are listening to our clients and their customers and positioning ourselves to serve them better. Canada and the USA are very wide countries coast-to-coast, and delivery time expectations continue to compress. Having locations both east and west allows us to to be where our clients need us to be.
How have the first few weeks been going?
Fantastic. We have a strong, experienced team on the ground and are well versed in opening new geographies. The building is beautiful (as far as warehouses go) and it’s a great neighbourhood for both proximity to airport as well as for our future expansion opportunities in the area. Orders are shipping and east-coast customers are pumped.
What kind of feedback have you had from your clients to date?
They are all very excited that we are continuing to grow, and that this opens up new options for them. For those who will benefit from this location, it allows them to either move or split inventories while remaining with their trusted logistics partner. Equally as exciting is the feedback we are receiving from prospective clients. Many brands may want exclusively an east-coast solution, and this now allows them to work with NRI in their preferred locale.
