Drugstore chain Walgreens has opened a new distribution center in Windsor, Connecticut, with 30 percent of its work force comprised of people with disabilities. A company statement says the facility will employ 300 people and that the employees with disabilities will work side-by-side with other team members, with the same productivity goal requirements and the same salaries. There is an on-site training facility available to help those with special needs adapt to the work environment. "We worked technology and creativity into every inch of this place, but the people here will amaze you," says Randy Lewis, Walgreens' senior vice president of supply chain and logistics. The company says the 700,000-square-foot facility will serve as a model for its future distribution centers and is expected to be 20 percent more efficient than Walgreens' previous generation of centers, innovative new logistics systems in place. The facility will serve Walgreens stores throughout the Northeast.
