continued from page almost 80 ….

continued from page

almost 80 years. For much of that time, it has been the manufacturing hub for the company. I know in the last 15 years or so, our distribution center operation has become the most important part of what we do here in the Lyons and Vidalia community. The importance of our operation here has increased every year as the company has grown and moved forward,” Kirby told the attendees. “The growth that we project from those brands, along with Oxford’s continuing strategy to acquire more brands when the opportunity presents, means that we are going to have to ensure that our distribution operations can keep up with that growth expectation. Early in our assessment of figuring out how we could get all of our stuff shipped out of here, we realized that we couldn’t add on to or retrofit or upgrade our existing distribution center sufficiently to meet the requirements. So, suddenly we were in a brand new project that none of us had ever been involved in: locating a site, constructing a facility, equipping it, and then moving our operation there.”

Employees currently working in the Lyons Distribution Center will relocate to this new facility, and an additional 60 jobs are expected to be created through this expansion. The new facility is planned to support significant distribution and fulfillment capabilities for all of Oxford’s brands while accommodating additional capacity for future expansion opportunities. According to Kirby, the retention of this workforce was one of the biggest factors in deciding to stay in Toombs County. “We knew that we needed more space, better equipment, and more people than we have right now. When we started looking for where to do this, we did not want to look very far from where we were located now because our workforce is the most important part of our operation,” he emphasized. “It would impact our workforce and we would lose some of our people if we moved too far away. Certainly, there are some other sites and places that were attractive for other reasons, but if people have to drive a little too far to work, they might decide that they want to stick around continued from page

[home] and work somewhere else. We didn’t want that to happen – we needed to keep as many people as we could.”

He added, “We didn’t have to go very far in the end to find the right spot to make the biggest capital investment in the history of Oxford Industries. We are going to spend somewhere between $130 [million] and $140 million on this project, and we are very happy to do that.”

The facility will help to house distribution of 6 of the 7 brands owned by Oxford, including Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer, Johnny Was, Southern Tide, The Beaufort Bonnet Company (TBBC), Duck Head. Where the current distribution center may only house 7 million units per year, this new location has the capacity for 20 million units per year, and enough space to eventually increase the operation to 30 million units per year with the addition of more employees and equipment. “Hopefully, we will need to do that at some point,” Kirby remarked.

Currently, the foundation has been completed for the structure, and the walls will soon begin to be built. “We are making great progress – I didn’t realize how quickly they can build a tilt-up construction building. We’re almost done with the foundation – they are going to start throwing up stuff over the next few weeks, and the plan is that by December, we can start getting the roof on it and by the end of the year, the roof will be fully on it. Then, we can start doing the finishing work inside, which will take a long time, just like the finishing of a house does,” Kirby said.

Oxford hopes to begin moving equipment into the structure by the end of the year, before moving units into the facility brand by brand later. The new distribution center is expected to be fully operational by October 2025, and completely moved out of the current distribution center by March 2026.

“So far, construction is ahead of schedule and the other things are on schedule, so we are optimistic,” Kirby told the crowd. “We’re very excited to make the investment here in Toombs County. We’re excited to make that continuing opportunity for our existing people and that opportunity for the people that we are going to need to add to the Oxford family over the next few years as we grow. I just want to thank the [Toombs County] Development Authority, Toombs County, and the city of Lyons for working so hard with us and working cooperatively with us so that Oxford can stay here for the next 80 years.”

Several local officials attended the update and spoke on their excitement for this new project.

“I think everyone around here sees that our landscape may have changed over the last month due to some weather, but our desire for economic growth in this area is certainly as strong now as it ever has been,” Toombs County Development Authority Chairman Tim Truxel shared. “On the Development Authority side [of things], our future looks extremely bright. Thank you, Mark, for your commitment and your company’s commitment. I want to congratulate all of the Oxford leadership for the tremendous investment in our community, and more so, I want to thank you for the confidence you have in not only our Development Authority, but also our county and the city of Lyons.”

He added, “I’ve worked on a lot of boards, and this community is incredibly special on how our local areas work together to pull projects like this to fruition. The confidence that Oxford has shown in us comes from having appreciated a long relationship with Oxford as part of our economy, and this addition to our community is huge.”

Lyons Mayor Willis NeSmith Jr. echoed Truxel’s statement, as he said, “Thank you for having the confidence in the community and building here. It has been a great 80 years that you all have been here and we look forward to another 80 years. The Oxford family has always been a good family – I grew up here, so I’ve known a lot of the leadership there, and you’ve always had good leadership. I’m glad to see you continuing that, and I look forward to growing with you all.”

Toombs County Commissioner Wendell Dixon reminisced on the numerous people which he knew that worked at Oxford, as he emphasized the impact which the company has had on the area. “We are so glad to see y’all doing this! Anything that the county can do to help you all, please let us know,” he told Kirby.

For Vidalia Mayor Doug Roper, the company’s emphasis on helping its workforce stood out in the decision to expand in Toombs County. “What stood out to me was how you guys took into consideration your workforce and how you placed them. The 80 year commitment that you have had [to this area] certainly stands on the shoulders of the folks that have been with you over the years. We appreciate your confidence in the area for the consideration of this level of investment. I appreciate the impact this will have in our county and the city of Lyons, because the better the city of Lyons does, the better the city of Vidalia does – the better we do, the better they do, and the better we do individually, the better we do as a county,” he explained.

“When our community members think about businesses locally that have longevity and consistently offer a great product, Oxford is definitely at the top of that list,” Greater Vidalia Chairwoman Stephanie Williams added. “I know it has not always been easy, but we really appreciate you being here in this community.”

Construction continues at the new Oxford facility daily, and the company plans to share more information on employment opportunities and completion timelines in the future.