Exchange’s Move from Camp Market to Camp Humphreys Nears Completion
After more than 45 years at Camp Market in Incheon, South Korea, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is moving its distribution center and bakery to Camp Humphreys, allowing the Exchange to better continue its mission of bringing a taste of home to Warfighters and families at the tip of the spear.
The move is a milestone for the Exchange, which has been operating the distribution center and bakery at Camp Market since 1975 from buildings constructed in the 1930s. An oven that dates to the 1970s, dubbed “Big Bertha,” is still running at the bakery.
The Facility Management Office at Camp Market sits mostly empty.
“We are a fully functioning distribution center, and things are moving smoothly,” Pacific Regional Distribution Center Manager Nick Devincenzo said. “Our associates have hit the ground running.”
The move is part of the Army’s Yongsan Relocation Plan, which began in 2004 and involved moving most U.S. Forces and command activities formerly in Seoul to Camp Humphreys from other installations in South Korea. The project to move the distribution center began in 2012, and its successful completion will allow the returning of Camp Market to South Korea.
Eventually, about 44,000 American troops, families and civilians will call Camp Humphreys home.
The complete relocation from Camp Market to Camp Humphreys took about seven weeks. The relocation was completed in mid-December after the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the original March move date.
“COVID mainly impacted the Exchange’s ability to get the required contractors onsite, but U.S. Forces Korea mitigated that pretty quickly,” Project Manager Dave Propes said. “We had to make sure everyone could work in a safe and secure environment. It caused us to push a few things back, but we never lost sight of our first responsibility to protect our associates.”
At Camp Market, Exchange operations were spread across nine buildings. At Camp Humphreys, the DC will run out of one building, along with a small structure for fleet operations.
Cynthia Fontilus, a material handling equipment operator, glides down the aisles at the Exchange’s Korea Distribution Center at Camp Humphreys.
The new DC has a total square footage of 255,806, which is a little more than half of what Camp Market offered between its nine buildings. However, the new DC has almost double the pallet storage capacity.
The average travel distance to 15 Korean military installations from Camp Humphreys is estimated to be about 31% less than from Camp Market because the majority of the Exchange customer base is in the Camp Humphreys and Osan area. The shorter distances are expected to save about $225,000 in transportation costs over five years and minimize the Exchange’s carbon footprint.
The Exchange is also expected to save $2 million in annual operational costs over five years once a new warehouse management system is put in place next year. The start date for that project will depend on the pandemic, Propes said.
Every associate at Camp Market was offered an opportunity at Camp Humphreys. Most accepted, but a few retired. About 160 associates will work at the DC and bakery, which is expected to move to Camp Humphreys by the summer.
