Dollar Tree tries to recover after tornado strikes distribution center

Bill Wilson

The series of powerful tornadoes that swept through Oklahoma on April 27 caused significant damage to the 1 million-square-foot Dollar Tree distribution center located in Marietta.

Dollar Tree confirmed that none of the 456 associates who are employed at the Marietta distribution center were injured at the facility. Dollar Tree is also supporting local associates through the business recovery process, including temporary work relocation, well-being resources and access to the company’s Associate Relief Fund. The company is also partnering with the American Red Cross to help support immediate community needs.

“We are deeply grateful that no one at our facility was injured during the storm, and our thoughts are with the entire community at this time. Our people are our highest priority, and we are reaching out to every one of our local associates to check in on their well-being and ensure they are aware of the support in-place for them and the surrounding community as part of our recovery efforts,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and chief executive officer, of Dollar Tree.

Currently, there are no reports of damage to any Dollar Tree or Family Dollar retail stores in the region. The Chesapeake,-Va.-based company reacted swiftly to maintain distribution operations following the storm and immediately pivoted its network to deliver product to the approximately 600 Marietta-serviced Dollar Tree stores. The company expects that these efforts will limit disruption to the Dollar Tree shopping experience.

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Mike Kindy, chief supply chain officer at Dollar Tree, said: “We run a high-performing distribution network and have activated our other distribution centers to support our stores in the region. We will continue to manage through the near-term challenges associated with this event and are confident in our ability to continue to meet our customers’ expectations and operate our business.”