In brief:
- Mission: Director/CEO Brad Bingham led fellow Exchange Board member Karen Carlisle and other distinguished visitors through the Dan Daniel Distribution Center to show how its supply chain delivers the Exchange benefit worldwide.
- Modernization: Visitors saw how goods-to-person automation brings merchandise to associates, reducing time spent walking the warehouse to fill orders.
- Reach: The Exchange’s largest distribution center ships 12 million cases annually and directly supports nearly 800 Exchange stores, more than 35 commissaries and 40 Coast Guard Exchange sites.
Delivering the Exchange benefit to service members and families worldwide starts with a strong supply chain—a connection Director/CEO Brad Bingham highlighted while leading a Board of Directors member and guests from the Office of the Secretary of War through the Dan Daniel Distribution Center (DDDC).
Board member Karen Carlisle, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Military Personnel); Glenn Garrison, Director, MWR and Resale Policy; Ed Shock and Jillian Singleton, Program Analysts, MWR Policy; and LTC Kathleen Middendorf, HQDA, G-4, troop support, got a firsthand look at the technology, modernization and people who keep the Exchange mission moving.
“The supply chain is the backbone of how we operate,” Bingham told the visitors. “We’ve invested heavily in this facility over the last decade, and we’ll continue to do so.”
Before the tour started, Distribution Center Manager David Hill, Assistant Distribution Center Manager Ron Willis and Chief of E-commerce Fulfillment David Young briefed the distinguished guests.
“We’ve been investing in technology over the years, and it’s showing,” Hill said. “We’re on track to ship 12 million cases this year—something we haven’t done since 2021. We’re shipping more cases—and our cost per case has decreased.”
Technology at work
President/Chief Operating Officer Marla Randolph, Chief Logistics Officer Eric Boen, Chief Information Officer Chad Lucas, Chief Communication Officer Judd Anstey, Chief Merchandising Officer Eric Sidman, Chief Financial Officer Craig Carter, Supply Chain Senior Vice President Fred Hannah and Government Affairs Senior Vice President Gregg Cox joined DDDC leaders and teammates to highlight warehouse modernization, including goods-to-person automation.
The system uses shuttles and conveyors to bring merchandise to associates, reducing the time spent navigating the 1.4 million-square-foot warehouse to gather items for orders.
During a demonstration, Carlisle and Middendorf picked merchandise alongside Materials Handler II Heather Sammartino and Foreman Paul Colon-Merlo.
“I can see how this increases productivity as opposed to walking back and forth and having to hunt for merchandise,” Carlisle said. “It was impressive.”
The tour also highlighted e-commerce fulfillment, military clothing, drone and transportation technology, shipping efficiencies and shipments to contingency locations.
Global reach
DDDC is the Exchange’s largest distribution center, shipping 12 million cases a year and handling $110 million in inventory. It directly supports nearly 800 Exchange stores, including locations in Europe and Southwest Asia, as well as more than 35 commissaries and 40 Coast Guard Exchange sites.
People behind the mission
Roughly 600 associates work at DDDC, many of whom have been with the Exchange for decades.
“The team here is passionate,” Bingham told the guests. “Even though they know how we did things 20 or 30 years ago, they are all in to do things differently with new technology or a new system.”
Carlisle, who was raised in an Army family and served nearly 30 years on active duty, grew up with the Exchange. She said she appreciated the behind-the-scenes look at how merchandise moves from the warehouse to the store.
“It was really interesting to get a feel for the back end, how it connects to what the customer experiences,” she said. “I enjoyed watching from the start to the finish—from receiving all the way to where merchandise is put on a truck to reach customers. It was also great to see all the people who work here and the dedication.”
Honoring DDDC teammates
Bingham presented challenge coins to several teammates for going the extra mile. Recipients included:
- Monika Cassius, accounting manager
- Chris Taylor, operations manager
- Joe Wright, fleet manager
- Rodney Morgan, facility manager II
- Kevin Douglas, operations manager
- Sherry Ellis, warehouse worker foreman
- Damon Jackson, loss prevention manager II
- Kyani Lewis, operations manager II (not present)
- Russell Westfall, operations manager V (not present)
- Rex Taylor, operations manager III (not present)
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