Colton, CA – Walmart announced it is opening a 340,000-square-foot high-tech consolidation center in Colton, CA that will be the first in Walmart’s supply chain to receive, sort, and ship freight. This automated technology will enable three times more volume to flow throughout the center and helps Walmart deliver the right product to the right store, so customers can find the products they need.

This Walmart-owned center will open in July with 150 full-time associates. It will grow to employ more than 600 associates by 2021. With the combined might of people and world-class logistic technology, this facility will be the most efficient consolidation center in Walmart’s supply chain.

Consolidation centers have a specialized role in moving products quickly on their journey to the customer. These centers receive less than a truckload (known in the industry as LTL) of general merchandise items like toys and kitchen appliances from suppliers, consolidate quantities of this freight in a full truckload (TL) and ship it to regional distribution centers. This allows Walmart’s 42 regional centers to focus on the next step – distributing products to stores.

“We’re going to make the regional distribution centers more efficient,” said Geno Bell, Senior Director of the Consolidation Center Network. “With this new technology, we can be surgical and responsive in getting merchandise into stores.”

Walmart’s investment in the facility at Colton, Calif., represents the company’s commitment to using technology and innovation to provide great jobs, strengthen its supply chain, and better serve our customers. For more information, including what a consolidation center is, photos of the center, and an infographic can be found here on Walmart’s blog.