POCA, W.Va. — The longtime distribution center for the Rite Aid drugstore chain in Putnam County will be closed in 2016. Rite Aid made the announcement Sunday afternoon.
The Poca facility employs 250 people about half of whom are members of the Teamsters Union. Contract talks with the Teamsters broke down in December, but workers agreed to stay on the job as the talks continued.
Rite Aid says the 35-year-old warehouse and distribution center is in need of modernization, but the cost is too substantial to make it worthwhile. The company says it will explore other options of distribution and improving efficiency for the distribution of products.
Teamsters Union leaders say they made a proposal to the company which would improve efficiency by 20 to 30 percent, however the idea was rejected.
Rite Aid has 106 stores in West Virginia. Sixty of those stores are served by the Poca Warehouse and Distribution Center.