Fasteners distributor and manufacturer Optimas Solutions, Wood Dale, Illinois, announced on Thursday that it has moved a distribution center in Mexico to a 32,400-square-foot facility in the Monterrey, Calif. suburb of Apodaca

Optimas said it made the move to be closer to customers, suppliers and employees and to support the economic growth in the region. According to president of Optimas Americas Daniel Harms, the new distribution center is larger than the previous one and is located in an industrial park where some of Optimas’ customers have facilities. Moving the distribution center from Mexico to California also helps alleviate supply chain and trucking issues.

“The new facility provides greater storage capacity and has been designed and configured to support new offerings, such as our kitting services,” Harms said. “But the key is the location in the Monterrey area with its close proximity to customers and its ability to service additional large businesses moving to the area. The whole set up from the location to the configuration of the facility allows us to be more intimate and better engaged with current and future customers in Mexico and South America.”

Harms said that Optimas anticipates strong growth in the region due to Monterrey’s prominence in the economic landscape of South America. With the addition of new kitting services, as well as a greater ability to support customers with inventory management and supply chain operations, Optimas is better suited for its projected growth.

The new Optimas distribution facility in Apodaca currently features capacity for more than 1,800 SKUs. It also will operate as a sales demonstration center and feature the company’s tech-enabled inventory management and vending solutions along with displays of the company’s  fasteners. Optimas plans to staff the new facility with 20 operations and 10 general staff teammates.

“We view this as a strategic move from not only a customer support standpoint, but an economic standpoint,” Ricardo Alonzo Rodriguez, Optimas vice president and general manager, Mexico, commented. “We share the same industrial park with industry leading businesses and customers such as Thermo Fisher, Varroc Lighting, Regal Beloit, Denso and Nidec.

“Monterrey is home to some of the largest companies in Mexico and is expected to be a major player in business in South America in the coming years. We appreciate the opportunity of being there to be part of that dynamic growth.”