Regis Corp. is closing its distribution center in Chattanooga by the end of the year, emptying one of the largest facilities in the Bonny Oaks Industrial Park that once employed more than 350 workers.
Regis, the largest hair salon chain in the world which operates brands like Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters and First Choice Haircutters, is converting all of its company-owned stores to franchised operations and shutting down the company’s distribution operations in Chattanooga and Salt Lake City by December.
“With so many states shutting down hair salons last years and the impacts of Covid, Regis had to make a business change,” said Tony Donaldson, assistant vice president of logistics for Regis Corp. in Salt Lake City.
But Donaldson, who previously served for 14 years as general manager of the Chattanooga distribution center, said Regis managers “worked really, really hard to get a good company to come in and take care of the associates” after Regis decided to close the center. As a result, the displaced Regis workers in the sprawling 230,000-square-foot warehouse in Chattanooga and another distribution facility Regis operates in Salt Lake City will be offered new jobs with Adorama.com and Scuba.com, which are planning to take over the Regis distribution centers in January.
Adorama Camera Inc. is an e-commerce retailer of cameras, electronics and film equipment while Scuba.com is one of the first and biggest internet-based diver supply companies. Donaldson said he expects the jobs at Adorama and Scuba.com will be comparable, if not higher, in pay and benefits for the warehouse jobs than what Regis provided.
