Massive Pet Valu distribution centre opens bringing 500 jobs to Brampton

The doors have opened on Pet Valu’s massive new distribution centre in Brampton that’s expected to bring some 500 jobs to the city.

Wednesday marked the opening of Pet Valu’s state-of-the-art 670,000-square-foot facility, which is the largest pet specialty distribution centre in the country.

Pet Valu says the $110 million centre will be fully operational in the first half of 2024, and will bring around 500 jobs to Brampton and “unprecedented scale and automation” to Canada’s pet sector.

Some highlight features include a café, nursing room, prayer rooms, training room, driver’s lounge and open-concept office space. Pet Valu says the facility also employs advanced health and safety features like ergonomically designed workstations and equipment.

The distribution centre was built by the Orlando Corporation and is approximately the size of 11 football fields.

Photo: Pet Valu

Photo: Pet Valu

“As the largest pet specialty facility in Canada, our GTA DC will benefit multiple aspects of our business through capacity to support future growth, efficiencies to accelerate speed to customers, tailored facilities to support employees, and job creation to support the communities we serve,” said Richard Maltsbarger, president and CEO of Pet Valu.

The centre is currently receiving and shipping bulk items like dry pet food and kitty litter. But once installation and setup of robotic automation equipment is complete early next year, the distribution centre will manage piece-pick items.

Pet Valu says the facility designed to process same-day orders while improving pick productivity by more than 50 per cent with warehouse processes, systems and automation are expected to reduce costs and drive productivity.

The distribution centre is expected to be fully operational by the first half of 2024 following a phased-in transition period.