Rite Aid Celebrates Grand Opening Of New Distribution Center In Spartanburg, South Carolina

• Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt to Join Rite Aid Officials at Ribbon-Cutting Today at 10 a.m.
• Rite Aid Foundation Donates $25,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate as Part of Celebration

Rite Aid Corporation announced recently the grand opening of its new distribution center in Spartanburg, S.C. Located at 789 Flatwood Industrial Drive in Spartanburg, this is the company's first new distribution center in 16 years.

South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt and several other state, city and community officials will join John Standley, Rite Aid chairman and CEO and Ken Martindale, CEO of Rite Aid Stores and president of Rite Aid Corporation for a grand opening event and ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 10 a.m.

"We're excited to celebrate the grand opening of our newest distribution center in Spartanburg, our first in 16 years." said Standley. "Featuring highly efficient and advanced technologies, this facility will play a crucial role in our company's supply chain, supporting more than 1,000 Rite Aid stores across the southeastern United States, and help us deliver a superior customer experience."

"We were thrilled last year when Rite Aid announced its decision to join the South Carolina family and build this new distribution facility in Spartanburg, but we're even more excited today to see this world-class facility become a reality. Rite Aid's Spartanburg County operations and the approximately 600 new jobs it will mean for South Carolinians will have a tremendous impact on the entire state and is a testament to the competitive business environment we have worked so hard to create here," said South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

The 900,000 square foot distribution center sits on 97 acres and is conveniently located near Interstate 85 between Highways 9 and 221 and features:

• High efficiency LED and T5 fluorescent light fixtures and occupancy sensor controlled warehouse lighting
• An on-site truck maintenance facility, including a fueling station, trailer weigh scale and wash area
• High-speed automated palletizers, ergonomically designed manual palletizing stations and automatic label applicators
• State-of-the-art warehouse and labor management system
• Voice pick technology
• 60,000 square feet of office space, including an associate cafeteria, fitness center and other amenities

Added Hitt "As a state with a dynamic transportation, distribution and logistics sector, we're proud to see yet another nationally recognized company establish distribution operations within our borders. Today, we celebrate the opening of this new Rite Aid facility, as well as the remarkable impact it will have on our Upstate community. I look forward to watching them succeed here for many years to come."

As part of the grand opening celebration, The Rite Aid Foundation will present a $25,000 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate. The donation will to be used to expand and support the programs and services offered by the Club at Mary H. Wright Elementary School.

Rite Aid worked with Johnson Development Associates, a leading real estate development firm based in Spartanburg, to design and build the new facility.

The Company would also like to thank the following organizations from the state who helped make its Spartanburg distribution center possible through economic development grants, job development credits and other assistance: Spartanburg County; the Spartanburg Economic Futures Group; the South Carolina Department of Commerce; the Coordination Council for Economic Development; the South Carolina Power Team; the Broad River Electric Cooperative; and Spartanburg Community College.

In South Carolina, Rite Aid employs 1,531 at its 91 stores and distribution center.

About Rite Aid Corporation
Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2016 annual revenues of $30.7B. For more information, visit www.riteaid.com.