PETsMart Begins Construction of Major Retail Distribution Center in Illinois

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated Houston, Texas). PETsMart, Incorporated (NASDAQ: PETM) (Phoenix, Arizona) has begun site grading and other work for a major distribution center to be built on an 80-acre site in Ottawa, Illinois. The project will involve construction of a one million square foot distribution center, with completion scheduled for June of 2005. The new distribution center is estimated to cost between $50-$60 million dollars and will create between 300 to 500 new jobs.

The McShane Companies, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, was awarded the design-build construction contract for the new distribution facility.

PETsMart, Incorporated, was founded in 1987 in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently listed as the United States' #1 specialty retailer of pet food and pet supplies and operate over 660 stores in the United States and Canada. Their 12,000 products range from scratching posts to iguana harnesses. The company's 2004 sales were over $3 billion, with a 2004 net income of over $139 million. They currently employ approximately 26,500 employees. PETsMart Charities, Incorporated, an independent organization, has donated more than $31 million to animal welfare programs since 1994.