Nokian opening warehouse in Quebec

Longueuil, Quebec – Nokian Tyres North America is opening a distribution centre in Longueuil, near Montreal, to provide more expedient service to customers in Quebec.

The facility is Nokian’s first distribution centre in Canada and sixth in North America. It will also ship to customers elsewhere in Canada as well as to the US when it opens in September, Nokian said.

Xpedient Logistics will manage the 130,000-sq.-ft.facility, which can store up to 200,000 tires.

“This new location will increase our capacity and efficiency in North America and shows our commitment to Quebec, one of our largest and most important markets,” said Tommi Heinonen, president of Nokian Tyres North America, the Colchester, Vermont-based subsidiary of Finland’s Nokian Tyres PLC.

“As we continue to grow the Nokian Tyre brand, it is vital that we maintain strong distribution capabilities so our products are available to our customers wherever they are located.”

Nokian reported sales of $175 million (€159 million) in North America last year, a 25-percent increase over 2014 despite the lack of any appreciable winter weather in late 2015.

Xpedient Logistics is a third-party logistics organization specializing in tire warehousing and supply chain coordination throughout Canada and the US, Nokian said.

“Xpedient is a strong partner for us as we have experienced significant success in the past working with them,” Heinonen added.

Longueuil is a city of about 230,000 inhabitants on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal.

Nokian also recently increased the size of its distribution centre in Albany, New York, by 150 percent.