OGDEN -- A leading distributor to the cycling and outdoor industry plans to build an 85,000-square-foot distribution facility in Ogden next year.
Quality Bicycle Products, based in Bloomington, Minn., has selected property for the facility and anticipates signing a formal purchase agreement next month, company officials said in a prepared statement.
QBP chose Ogden for its new distribution center to provide ground-based shipping to most of the western region in two days or less. The company, which serves more than 5,000 independent bike dealers across the United States, has a large customer base in the Southwest and Pacific states.
"Ogden provides a great location for serving our Western customers," said Steve Flagg, QBP president. "The city attracted us with its core group of recreational industries and its strong commitment to bikes for commuting and recreation. We're really excited about getting to know the people of Ogden and being an active member of the community."
QBP plans to work with advocacy groups to help promote local bicycle facilities and programs.
Mayor Matthew Godfrey is pleased that QBP is coming the city.
"QBP is a significant player in the cycle industry and we are excited they have chosen Ogden to expand their operation. Their presence is yet another confirmation that Ogden is quickly becoming the outdoor mecca for all high-adventure recreation," he said in a prepared statement.
Spencer Eccles, executive director of the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, said QBP's decision to operate in Ogden is important to the state.
"The addition of QBP to our outdoor products and recreation economic cluster in Utah is significant," he said. "We know that QBP brings a strong commitment to the environment and will further strengthen Utah's leadership in the outdoor products industry."
The proposed site for QBP's distribution facility includes portions of adjoining parcels owned separately by the city and Ogden School District off 12th Street east of the Ogden Nature Center, said Richard McConkie, the city's deputy director of community and economic development.
Construction on the building is expected to begin in the spring and conclude in November 2010, Kim Brown, director of distribution for QBP, said. While constructing the new facility, QBP will temporarily lease a building in Clearfield, she said.
QBP plans to initially hire 50 workers and intends to double that number once the distribution center opens. The company also plans to eventually bring some of its brand headquarters to Ogden.
The state is providing QBP a $2.1 million incentive package over 10 years to assist its relocation to Ogden, said Brown.
In return, the company has agreed to operate in Utah for at least a decade and to pay workers 125 percent of Weber County's average wage, she said.
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