Westcoast Fitness retailer choses Pgh area for 2nd ever dist. center!

[PghUSA]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stor...19/daily14.html

REI which only recently entered the Pittsburgh market with a southside location that has--according to the company's PR manager-- done "extremely well" for such a brand new market, has chosen the Pittsburgh area as it's defacto east-of-the-rockies operating HQ, placing it's first distribution center east of Colorado (and 2nd ever in company history) on 35 acres near Bedford. The site which will be completed by late next year could one day employ up to 350. This is good news especially considering that the company is one of the ones on the leading edge of the fitness and sports markets (almost like a westcoast Dick's--just not as "cool" though )

REI has just 27 locations east of the rockies--18 east of the Mississippi (the 18 to be supplied from the Pgh area dist. facility) out of 64 locations west of the river and 55 west of the Rockies. Although Pittsburgh is new on the scene for the firm the explosion of business at its city location and the choice of nearby Bedford for its east-coast expansion plans bodes well for Pittsburgh as a center for the fitness/health industry, GNC and Dicks global HQ were already making us strong, now a west-coaster chosing us over the "hip" Atlanta's, Miami's and NYC's is even better!

[blueblackcat]

I know that many people in Pittsburgh seem to have known about REI for a very long time, probably through their mail order catalog (originially REI was all mail order). Plus REI is definitely cool, it is also the world's largest consumer cooperative. I'm glad they're doing great here. I shop there myself. There is a nice FREE climbing wall that is awesome and very popular. The people at the REI told me that it's the first REI location with a climbing wall and that the store originally decided it couldn't afford it, but then the Soffer organization just put their foot down and paid for it themselves. Talk about not your average developer!

[Sundodger]

There is a nice FREE climbing wall that is awesome and very popular. The people at the REI told me that it's the first REI location with a climbing wall and that the store originally decided it couldn't afford it, but then the Soffer organization just put their foot down and paid for it themselves. Talk about not your average developer!

REI's flagship store in Seattle has a 65 foot tall climbing wall. It opened in 1996:

It looks like Pittsburgh is trying to import more Seattle with REI and Nordstrom.

[PghUSA]

^^Sun, that would make Pittsburgh even more comparable with Seattle .

REI though is HQed in Colorado from what I hear, it's sole operating dist. center there as well, I guess with the 2nd ever dist. center near Pgh, REI is putting a larger presence in this area then it has in the PacNW . . . but I wouldn't say we are "better" than Seattle . . . yet.

[blueblackcat]

REI's flagship store in Seattle has a 65 foot tall climbing wall. It opened in 1996:

It looks like Pittsburgh is trying to import more Seattle with REI and Nordstrom.

Wow, looks nice. Our wall is not that big. I only said what I was told by the employees at the REI here.

OTH if Seattle has a GNC, or an American Eagle, or a Dick's, then they're trying to import more of Pittsburgh, right? Now as much as I love Starbucks, I gotta say the coffee isn't even that great, yet Pittsburgh is the only city I really know about that has a viable coffeeshop *other* than Starbucks on every other corner. I think Pittsburgh can easily compete on it's own merits.

[Sundodger]

^^Sun, that would make Pittsburgh even more comparable with Seattle .

Yep, Pittsburgh, like the rest of America is importing Seattle.

REI though is HQed in Colorado from what I hear,

HQs in Kent, WA. They also have a Distribution Center and Contact Center in Sumner and their flagship store in Seattle.

REI is putting a larger presence in this area then it has in the PacNW

Nope.

[PghUSA]

^^Sun, my bad on the HQ of REI, with their website down over the Christmas holiday, the only thing I had to go on was other Bizjournal stories on them in which they kept referring to the "flagship store" in Denver.

To your point on the world importing Seattle, REI ceases to be a Seattle import to this region when we have our own distribution center, employ Pittsburghers in the stores, rely on Pittsburgh area contractors etc. My discription of Pittsburgh as being a comparable to Seattle since both have REIs that are semi-autonomous, not to mention dist. centers, fits better in my mind.

SunD, if you want to talk "exporting" wouldn't it work better on cultural or innovative matters? Heinz, Alcoa, GNC, American Eagle, are all huge in Seattle, however I wouldn't claim you are walking into "Pittsburgh" when you walk into one of their stores/factories, or buy a product from them, most of their assets in the PacNW are managed, franchised out to, and distributed by local people or contractors.

Cuturally one might say Pittsburgh does export itself to the world, every time a child is saved from Polio, you turn on your radio, watch network TV, and in the purest sense play or watch football (after the inital exportation of radio, netTV and polio cures they were contributed to by many others from the whole world, football amazingly remains Pittsburgh owned.). If all those things don't "touch" a city enough to feel another metro's influence consider for a moment that the local legends that are the best Seahawks coach and best Mariners player in Seattle history both had to be imported from Pittsburgh.

I will grant you modern coffee and grunge music, though one might contend Starbucks is just an Arbuckles (Pittsburgh's legendary coffee innovator) in disguise, that the Pittsburgh music of doo-wop and some contend rock-n-roll makes grunge look like a passing fad. To see similarities in two cities on the big name stores they have is cool, to say one is exporting itself to the world because of them (are you instantly a Pittsburgher because you walk into a franchised out, regionally distributed GNC store in the west or south?) is a bit of a stretch, but if it works for you SunD, we could go with that.

[Sundodger]

If all those things don't "touch" a city enough to feel another metro's influence consider for a moment that the local legends that are the best Seahawks coach and best Mariners player in Seattle history both had to be imported from Pittsburgh.

Mike Holmgren is from the Bay Area and Alex Rodriguez is from South Florida.

I will grant you modern coffee and grunge music,

I don't want to get into another pissing match but you totally under sell Seattle. Heck, two recent threads here are about Nordstrom and REI, two Seattle grown institutions. If you ever get to visit Seattle, be sure and visit the flagship stores of each. Then head over to the Experience Music Project to understand Seattle's great music legacy is far greater than grunge. But you have probably never heard of Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Kenny Loggins, Kenny G, Heart, Foo Fighters, etc. being way out there in Pittsburgh.

[PghUSA]

SunD, I admire Seattle immensley, the only contest here is wether you will respond to my points on what is a good "import"? Cultural assets/innovations or locally managed outposts of Heinz and GNC and American Eagle. I don't pretend the PacNW is Pittsburghing itself if they open up another AEO or Heinz puts in a distribution center there. We would welcome a Nordstrom's here in the 'burgh but if you really ask politicos and supershoppers I would guess they would want NeimanMarcus, Bloomy's or even Kaufmann's back to its old form much more. That's why AEO opening up a shop in a Spokane mall doesn't "Pittsburgh" it, there's a Gap right down the hall, and both are franchised out to locals. Pick up a football though and you might be close to the 'burgh!

I'd love to visit Experience Music Project, though my analysis was genres not individuals (we can save those for another thread . . . too many to list here), I would invite you though to revisit the Seattle sports scene, ARod's and Holmgren's stats in the emerald city do not qualify as the greatest NFL and MLB legends. I thought you might be confused, so I rechecked, but the numbers aren't even close to the Pittsburgh exports that wore Seattle across their chest.

I am always excited about learning more about cities like Seattle, San Fran, Atlanta, NY, etc. what they do right, what they can improve upon, but if you want to better describe that region at least get the sport stats right.

[Sundodger]

I would invite you though to revisit the Seattle sports scene, ARod's and Holmgren's stats in the emerald city do not qualify as the greatest NFL and MLB legends.

Greatest coaching legend you mean for football, Steve Largent is from Oklahoma, but you are still wrong about that:

Holmgren - .563, Knox .559, and the distance will keep on growing as Seattle looks like it will be an NFC contender for awhile.

And A-Rod is one of the greatest players of all-time. His 1996 season in Seattle was one of the greatest of all-time by a SS. If you want to judge not by talent, but by career, then you have to go to Puerto Rico, not Pittsburgh to find that Mariner.

Greatest Mariners talents:

1). Alex Rodriguez

2). Ken Griffey Jr.

3). Randy Johnson

4). Ichiro

5). Edgar Martinez

Greatest Mariners, as generally regarded by the fans:

1). Edgar Martinez

2). Ken Griffey Jr.

3). Jay Buhner

4). Jamie Moyer

Moyer is from somewhere in PA too.

I thought you might be confused, so I rechecked, but the numbers aren't even close to the Pittsburgh exports that wore Seattle across their chest.

You must have a bad source of information.

but if you want to better describe that region at least get the sport stats right.

Uh, who is been getting things wrong in this thread? Your stats are wrong, you were wrong about REI, and you are wrong about Seattle and its cultural significance; that's a hat trick.

[TheGerbil]

Did I wander into the Seattle board or something? This is the Pittsburgh board and we are here to discuss Pittsburgh.

[PghUSA]

G, I agree with you, although I'm not against a honest comparison with other like cities with Pittsburgh, important to note I hate vs., but to compare is a learning exercise.

Sun, if I won one game for the Seahawks I'd be the greatest coach ever in Seattle history? Percentages aren't what made Shula's record legendary, Knox was the best coach in Seahawks history, do a google on him. I feel kind of sad for a region that can't embrace it's own sport stats.

As far as my hat trick, try a one shot, I never declared any opinion on culture except that Rock'n'Roll and DooWop was greater then Grunge (I think that's a no-brainer), the stats are correct and I'll be sure to fill in for an NFL team on an easy win day to become "The greatest football legend" of that city since percentages trump total wins?!? SunD, the only thing I was wrong about was quoting the BizJournal repeatedly stating the "REI flagship store in Denver" without any notice that the co-op is HQ in PacNW. I love the accolades the REI PR chief is giving the Pittsburgh market and new Dist. Center but it would help if he could keep their website up over xmas and correct errors in the Denver papers. When I was shown that my information was wrong, I didn't mind admitting it, I'm here to learn about Pittsburgh and how we fit in the world of metros, if a writer in Denver isn't doing their job (or REI's PR chief isn't correcting obvious errors) I appreciate posters like you that have deep knowledge of the facts out west. Just don't tell me Jimmy Johnson was a better NFL coach then Shula or that Charlie Weis is world's better then Bobby Bowden.

[Sundodger]

Sun, if I won one game for the Seahawks I'd be the greatest coach ever in Seattle history? Percentages aren't what made Shula's record legendary, Knox was the best coach in Seahawks history, do a google on him. I feel kind of sad for a region that can't embrace it's own sport stats.

I am a Seahawks fan, I know what I am talking about. Knox was once the greatest coach in Seahawks history, not anymore. Chuck Knox never led the Seahawks to three straight playoff berths and the best record in the conference. Heck, Holmgren has 3 times as many division titles as Knox. Sorry, try again. Longer tenure doesn't always equal better tenure.

SunD, the only thing I was wrong about was quoting the BizJournal repeatedly stating the "REI flagship store in Denver" without any notice that the co-op is HQ in PacNW.

REI does have a flagship store in Denver. You somehow twisted that into Colorado having REI's HQs and the PNW not having any significant REI presence.

Just don't tell me Jimmy Johnson was a better NFL coach then Shula or that Charlie Weis is world's better then Bobby Bowden.

Are you honestly trying to say that Chuck Knox is a better coach than Mike Holmgren? Knox never led a team to the Superbowl let alone win one. Holmgren has been to two already and has a great shot at going to a third this year.

[PghUSA]

Yeah Green Bay! , I start counting wins in a city to name that city's best coach. Seahawks.com strangely agrees.

SunD, you proved that REI was a Seattle co. by stating in the pic caption:

"REI's flagship store in Seattle" . . . Bizjournals.com wrote numerous times:

"REI's flagship store in Denver"?!? Once REI got their website back up the confusion cleared for me, but if I were you I'd be talking to the Bizjournals staff about it, not me, the error is still out there for the world to read and think Denver is HQ. I was enthused to read in the various editions of the Bizjournals that they named Bedford Pa. as their defacto east coast HQ!

[Sundodger]

Yeah Green Bay! , I start counting wins in a city to name that city's best coach. Seahawks.com strangely agrees.

That poll was from Sept. Ask the question again today. Holmgren as Seahawks coach has a better winning % and three times as many division championships as Knox.

SunD, you proved that REI was a Seattle co. by stating in the pic caption:

"REI's flagship store in Seattle" . . . Bizjournals.com wrote numerous times:

"REI's flagship store in Denver"?!?

BizJournal and myself were correct, you just made an incorrect assumption.

Once REI got their website back up the confusion cleared for me, but if I were you I'd be talking to the Bizjournals staff about it, not me, the error is still out there for the world to read and think Denver is HQ.

No, it is accurate. Again, you just made an incorrect assumption.

[PghUSA]

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/flagship

SunD, I do appreciate your insights on the PacNW and how that compares to Pittsburgh, but if you want to make accusations please remember to factcheck some (though this thread does prove there is no such thing as enough fact checking). Oh and you have my permission to forward that link to the 3rd grade dropout that wrote it up in the Bizjournal of Denver, which by the way everyone with a modicum of education is taking to mean just what "flagship" is supposed to mean, Denver's REI is the largest, most important REI in the world. Please don't tell me that the definition has "changed since Sept." as well. If it has I'll be a gentleman about it be glad to webpublish the fact that the "Flagship REI store in Pittsburgh . . .".

SunD, I am confused if you are reading the same (four month old) Seahawks.com article I am, though I will thank you for proving my theory that the most intelligent football scholars are also from Pittsburgh. Holmgren has yet to win a playoff game in Seattle, Knox took the team to an AFC Championship Game. Division Champs is fantastic but not worth much when you are golfing in January instead of preparing for a conference title game. If you read the piece I linked "way back in September" I can see Holmgren has won 25 games, gone to 2 AFC title games, and gained two additional playoff berths to surpass Knox. I was unaware that they continually ran the "most legendary coach" poll out there (is it weekly or monthly?). You might be right 4 months is an eternity in legend land, by summer Shula and Landry might be placed in the scrap heap of history. Nothing personal SunD, I honestly do enjoy our discussions sometimes, pathos is a great quality, as long as you don't forget the facts .

[Sundodger]

SunD, I do appreciate your insights on the PacNW and how that compares to Pittsburgh, but if you want to make accusations please remember to factcheck some (though this thread does prove there is no such thing as enough fact checking). Oh and you have my permission to forward that link to the 3rd grade dropout that wrote it up in the Bizjournal of Denver, which by the way everyone with a modicum of education is taking to mean just what "flagship" is supposed to mean, Denver's REI is the largest, most important REI in the world.

Again, REI has a Denver "flagship" store. Once again you are quick to make assumptions. Bash REI, not me or BizJournal for that. REI has named their two jumbo sized locations "flagship." The Seattle store is the original and larger, so I guess you could call it the primary flagship.

Holmgren has yet to win a playoff game in Seattle, Knox took the team to an AFC Championship Game.

You don't think Holmgren will do at least the same this year? The Seahawks have never had homefield advantage for anything beyond the first week, sorry.

Division Champs is fantastic but not worth much when you are golfing in January instead of preparing for a conference title game.

Or missing the playoffs out right. We are going for the third straight year, something Knox could never muster. Holmgren has as many playoff appearances in less time despite having to rebuild. There is no question who the better coach in Seattle has been.

Your Pittsburgh homerdom is affecting your senses here.

If you read the piece I linked "way back in September" I can see Holmgren has won 25 games, gone to 2 AFC title games, and gained two additional playoff berths to surpass Knox. I was unaware that they continually ran the "most legendary coach" poll out there (is it weekly or monthly?).

I think having the greatest season in franchise history has finally seperated the two.

[PghUSA]

"Pittsburgh homerdom"

that was a good one Sun, it would have been better if I based it on something other then the Seahawks official webpage . . . if it is as irrelevant as you say, why wouldn't they take it down? Holmgren MIGHT best Knox in Seahawks history, but for now and the foreseeable future (unless they win a Lombardi this year) Pittsburgh man just has the #s to back it up, this isn't me talking it's the Seahawks FO. Who knows maybe the Steelers and Seahawks will meet this Feb. to decide it for sure .

So you are saying that both Denver and Seattle are considered by corporate as sister "flagships", ok that is something factual I can benefit from--although that would make the Denver locale almost a secondary HQ, takes a little luster away from Seattle but they are a co-op after all so I could see that working. Now I am looking forward to that first eastcoast one !

[Sundodger]

that was a good one Sun, it would have been better if I based it on something other then the Seahawks official webpage . . . if it is as irrelevant as you say, why wouldn't they take it down?

Again, it was taken in September, before Seattle had the greatest season in its history. Heck, we had 2 losses in September., so of course Knox's #s look better at that time. Take the poll today and it is a Holmgren landslide.

Holmgren MIGHT best Knox in Seahawks history, but for now and the foreseeable future (unless they win a Lombardi this year) Pittsburgh man just has the #s to back it up, this isn't me talking it's the Seahawks FO.

Holmgren is better right now by a smidge. If the Seahawks make the Superbowl, he is the unquestioned greatest coach. If he wins, he is fricking god.

So you are saying that both Denver and Seattle are considered by corporate as sister "flagships", ok that is something factual I can benefit from. Now I am looking forward to that first eastcoast one.

No, they just call their special giant stores "flagships." It is just the name they have given them. The typical REI store is considerably smaller.

[PghUSA]

^^ a lot of if's up there, sorta like if Dick's buys out REI like they swallowed up Galyans!

[TheGerbil]

I don't mean anyone any offense, but why is it that every time SunD enters a thread it seems to devolve into a thinly veiled "my city vs. your city" thing? I frankly don't care whose football team is better or who has a bigger REI store or whatever you guys are talking about (I skimmed some parts).

I came to this board to get away from that kind of discussion, the sort that goes round-and-round in circles and doesn't seem to accomplish much. These wars of statistics about things that really do not matter...

[Evergrey]

I don't mean anyone any offense, but why is it that every time SunD enters a thread it seems to devolve into a thinly veiled "my city vs. your city" thing? I frankly don't care whose football team is better or who has a bigger REI store or whatever you guys are talking about (I skimmed some parts).

I came to this board to get away from that kind of discussion, the sort that goes round-and-round in circles and doesn't seem to accomplish much. These wars of statistics about things that really do not matter...

I agree. I've grown a bit weary of the constant Seattle discussion.

[PghUSA]

^^ I agree SunD needs to keep it in a "Pittsburgh" context. I regret that a thread on the eastcoast ops of REI and what it means for Pittsburgh's growing sports retailing scene devolved into a compartive, but then again I'm as much to blame as Sun on that one.

Despite it being off topic, IMHO comparatives (not vs.) is a legit topic on this board. Although we are mostly locals and Pgh lovers, we need to keep in mind that there are people that know 0 about our region coming here on a monthly basis looking for info or trying to think of us in a way they are familiar with (usually through the lens of their own metro). I might be wrong, but to fail to engage non-Pittsburghers (or Pgh lovers) on this board weakens it's ability to affect change in the region, by changing (or setting straight) opinions of the city to outsiders. Besides all that I just love a good positive debate on the facts, but that's me.

Ever and G, I don't come here to learn about Seattle either, but if its something that I can learn that Pittsburgh can do, has done, or will do better that Seattle can teach us, I'm all for it. So I look forward to SunD or others adding his/their opinion of Pittsburgh on the board, as mod I'll do a better job channeling it into a relevant thread.

[Sundodger]

^ this thread only evolved this way because of my constant correcting of errors. Usually I am just reading the threads here because I am obviously a Pittsburgh novice.

[tooluther]

I think the point being raised is that instead of presenting facts or issues and then discussing them, you too have a habit of just viciously posting at one another and everyone stops paying attention to the thread.

AND before sundoger has a chance to say it. There is absolutely no way that Dicks or REI would ever buy each other, they are very disparate products.