Top 40 promotional products apparel supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358) said early Monday that it has relocated its operations from its 450,000-square-foot distribution center in Bolingbrook, IL, to a new nearby 750,000-square-foot distribution center that it built with a host of earth-friendly sustainable features.

Located in Lockport, IL, the new facility will generate 100 new jobs and provide the firm with a bigger, brighter space that’s better equipped to handle its growing product offerings, executives said. “The Lockport facility provides significantly increased capacity for storage, along with state-of-the-art material-handling automation and technology,” said S&S President Jim Shannon (pictured, inset).

Taking a green approach to the build, S&S said the facility includes solar panels and high-efficiency LED lights with motion sensors that will help minimize the company’s carbon footprint — an ongoing priority for the supplier. A radiant heating system and increased airflow will keep team members comfortable throughout the year, executives said. S&S Lockport has also become the first distribution center in Illinois to install efficient, hands-free, waterless urinals, which will save up to 1 million gallons of water each year, according to S&S.

Because of the green efforts of S&S and Prologis, the facility’s landlord, the distribution center has earned a Silver LEED rating. An initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED building certification program focuses on encouraging a more sustainable approach to how buildings are designed, built and operated.

“There’s no question consumers across all end markets expect their supply chains to be more environmentally focused,” said S&S Activewear Chief Operating Officer Frank Myers. “The brands we partner with are focused on sustainability, as are we. … As a company, we’re inspired to operate more responsibly and preserve our environment for future generations.”

With the new facility, S&S’s Midwest footprint has increased by 300,000 square feet. The firm’s nationwide footprint is now 3.5 million square feet. “This was a wonderful opportunity to build a facility in line with our mission and values statement,” said Myers of the new distribution center.

With reported 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $722 million, S&S Activewear ranked third on Counselor’s latest list of the largest suppliers in the industry. The company, which has experienced a five-year average annual growth rate of 21.3%, has been busy expanding its physical footprint of late. At the beginning of the year, S&S opened an 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Reno, NV. In 2018, the supplier opened a 505,000-square-foot warehouse near Atlanta.