Weisser Distributing moving out of Tea

By Garrett Ammesmaki

After seven years at their current location in Tea, Weisser Distributing is closing up their location on East First Street. They will be moving all operations to Sioux Falls.

Along with some new forklifts, the 40,000 square foot facility near Cliff Avenue will bring all the operations into one building, which will be great for the roughly 30 employees that will work out of the new facility, according to Bob Weisser, chairman and founder of Weisser Distributing.

“It’ll be a lot nicer for employees to be under the same roof,”” Weisser said. “Whenever you’ve got it under one roof, it’s more efficient, faster, warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.”

Though the building is smaller in terms of square feet than the roughly 44,000 they have at the Tea location, there will be plenty of room for inventory and be an all around better environment for the workers.

Currently, employees are still working between two buildings in Tea, Weisser said. This means driving forklifts outside during the dead of winter, and allowing bugs and heat into the building during the summer.

The move comes a few years after purchasing the property on Cliff Avenue, Weisser said. Until around four months ago, they were still working on the addition for the new building. With the recent completion of the addition, the move has been started.

Until the move is finished within the next three months, operations will be carried out between both locations as to not have a lapse in service.

Right now, there are around 35 of 60 employees working out of the Tea facility, with 25 of them working remotely. For those working remotely, Weisser said, not much is going to change.

“The Tea community has been very good to us,” Weisser said. “And we’d like to thank the community for all their support.”

The Tea building is currently for sale or for lease at 501 E. First St. The new facility is located at 921 E. Amidon St. in Sioux Falls.

Weisser Distributing has been in operation since 1978, when Weiser started selling tools and supplies to various body shops around Tea, and at one point was the “fastest growing company in Midwest,” according to their website. They also have a facility located near Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The growth has always been nice,” Weisser said. “But the inventory keeps growing, and you run out of room for people and merchandise.”