February 21, 2005

Lyreco building Kingston distribution facility

By Irwin Rapoport

DCN Correspondent

Lyreco Canada Inc., better known as Lyreco Office Products, will start construction of a $6- to $8-million distribution facility in Kingston’s St. Lawrence Business Park in 2006.

The total value of the facility, which will serve its Toronto and Montreal branches, is $20 million.

The 106,000-square-foot structure will occupy a 10-acre site.

“We’re consolidating the Montreal and Toronto warehouse operations,” said Saul Cadosh, Lyreco’s vice-president of Logistics.

“Once we are there, we can expand the facility to 250,000 square feet, which could accommodate new sales growth and new business activity.”

Construction is expected to begin in mid-2006, with the anticipation of occupying the facility in June or July of 2007. Once the warehouse is built, Lyreco plans to vacate its two large centres in Montreal and Toronto and rent office space in each city.

Cadosh said that Lyreco would likely start the RFP process for construction and project management, including an architect, within a few months.

“We have time,” he said. “Right now we’re finalizing the land deal with the city.”

Based in France, Cadosh noted that Lyreco builds three or four such warehouse facilities in Europe on an annual basis.

The design utilized in Europe is being considered for Kingston, but it may have to be modified in order to comply with local bylaws.

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