Southern Hobby Supply, Inc. has announced that it will open its fifth wholesale location in Reno, Nevada this fall.  The new warehouse, which will open for business on November 2, will be managed by Mike Brock, who Southern Hobby recently hired after a stint as Paizo Global Organized Play Coordinator (see “Southern Hobby Hires Mike Brock”).  He’s relocating to Reno for his new position as General Manager of the facility.  Brock has a background as a sports collector in addition to his experience in the games business, which Southern Hobby says “perfectly positions him for success in all facets of the Southern Hobby business.”

The new location, in conjunction with Southern Hobby’s four other locations, will put 95% of the continental U.S. within two days shipping of one of the company’s facilities, a spokesperson told ICv2.  Inventory levels at the new location will be comparable to those in other Southern Hobby locations.  The company also plans to begin offering delivery service using its own trucks from its new location, as it does from other warehouses. 

Southern Hobby President Chris Austin celebrated the move.  “It’s exciting to know that hobby customers in the Western United States will now be able to experience the same quality customer service, products, and timely delivery that long-time Southern Hobby customers have experienced since 1991,” he said.

And Southern Hobby VP-Sales Brad Wagoner lauded Brock as the right local manager.  “Every growth plan has to have a great foundation,” he said. “Our associates are the most important piece of our foundation.  Mike Brock, as a management associate, is a perfect fit with our team and it’s the right time to professionally serve hobby customers from Reno.”

In conjunction with the opening of the new facility, Southern Hobby has simplified its corporate structure, merging the several separate companies that had previously owned its individual warehouses into a single company, Southern Hobby Supply, Inc.  Along with a new ERP system that’s currently being implemented, the new corporate structure will allow retailers easier access to inventory from multiple Southern Hobby locations.