Falken Tire Corp. has opened a new distribution center in Joliet, Ill.

The Joliet facility will service dealers around the Chicago area and across the Midwest into Central Canada, Falken said. Falken said the presence in the market will allow a greater us of its fleet of truck and will improve service and efficiency to dealer in the region.

Designed with a new format, the distribution center is capable of storing 54% more tires per square foot than previous locations, according to Ron Papcun, Falken’s vice president of operation. This is the second location opened in 2014 with the new model.

The new DC model format includes a fire suppression system that allows the tiremaker to safely store tires on portable stacking racks up to 30 feet or six racks high, Falken said. Additionally the new distribution center is intended to maximize energy efficiency, improve throughput, insure safe working practices, and reduce overall long-term cost of operations, the tiremaker noted.