Bodybuilding.com warehouse bulks up with monthly growth of 15-20 percent

Since opening on Oct. 30, the bodybuilding.com distribution warehouse in North Las Vegas has showed monthly growth of 15 percent to 20 percent and has nearly doubled its workforce from 20 full-time employees to 37, according to the Ryan DeLuca, the company chief executive.

Bodybuilding.com, which ships 12,000 health, fitness and nutrition products from 400 brands at the North Las Vegas facility, picked the location to serve a giant market in the West, including Nevada, California and Arizona.

With the new 100,000-square-foot warehouse coming online, the big difference for bodybuilding.com customers is that the fitness products can reach markets in cities such as Los Angeles and Phoenix in just one day compared to the two or three days it took before the facility opened, DeLuca said.

The North Las Vegas warehouse is one of six distribution centers for Boise, Idaho-based bodybuilding.com, billed as the world’s biggest online nutrition store.

The warehouse uses UPS and OnTrac for its shipping needs, which includes distributing everything from protein bars and powders to fitness clothing. The company ships Las Vegas-based Xyience energy drinks, too. The facility is even able to ship items on Sunday, DeLuca said.

Bodybuilding.com picked the North Las Vegas site at 4900 Engineers Way because of three main reasons — geographic location, favorable tax incentives and available work force, DeLuca said.

The e-retailer received about $150,000 in annual abatements, said Jonas Peterson, chief operating officer for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.

Raquel Krol, bodybuilding.com vice president of human resources, noted.

“As part of our partnership with the Global Alliance, we were able to secure approximately $150,000 in abatements but in addition, training reimbursements through the Nevada Workforce Development team. We are continuing to work with the alliance on furthering our partnership with additional incentives and of course, additional options of expansion in Nevada.”

The alliance worked with the company for 2½ years to make the deal, Peterson said.

“They were looking for a presence in the Southwest,” Peterson said. “They are highly successful in their industry and have a highly trafficked website.”

The global alliance also worked with the city of North Las Vegas to bring bodybuilding.com to the Las Vegas Valley.

Bodybuilding.com has five distribution centers in the United States, including its newest facility in New Berlin, Wis., outside Milwaukee to serve Midwest markets such as Chicago and Milwaukee, DeLuca said. Other distribution centers are located in Tallahassee, Fla.; Harrisburg, Penn., and Boise. There’s also a distribution center in the Netherlands to serve the European market.

The company moves $470 million worth of health products a year, DeLuca said. It has 800 workers companywide, he said.

Bodybuilding.com’s parent company is Denver-based Liberty Media Corp., which acquired a controlling stake in the company in 2007. DeLuca said he still owns a minority share of the company, which he founded with his wife and brother out of a Boise, Idaho, garage.

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Follow @BicycleManSnel on Twitter.