A worker prepares Wednesday for the opening of Agren Appliance’s new distribution center at 56 Harriman Drive in Auburn. The 52,000-square-foot warehouse was built in 13 months and cost roughly $9.5 million. It is expected to open Sept. 18. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

AUBURN — Agren Appliance’s new $9.5 million distribution center at 56 Harriman Drive sits on the hill overlooking the Maine Turnpike ramps at Exit 75.

The warehouse was built in just 13 months and will serve its six stores.

Agren is Maine’s largest, family-owned, independent appliance and mattress store chain with locations in Auburn, Topsham, Saco, South Portland, Norway and Bridgton.

It’s a game changer for the chain and its customers, President Jason Agren said Wednesday.

The building will consolidate multiple functions under one roof — the installation, parts, service and delivery departments will relocate there when it opens in a few weeks. It also replaces the series of smaller warehouses the company has used over the years, down from a pre-pandemic high of eight to two.

The pristine concrete floors and 20- to 28-foot ceilings will accommodate all the inventory needed for the company’s stores. There are nine loading docks, which Agren said will greatly ease congestion compared to the current warehouse, which has only two.

Jason Agren, left, owner and president of Agren Appliance, and Jason Pauley, chief operating officer, walk Wednesday through the new $9.5 million warehouse at 56 Harriman Drive in Auburn. The 52,000-square-foot distribution center will consolidate multiple functions to serve its six stores. It is expected to open Sept. 18. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Agren said the size of the building will allow the company to take advantage of quantity pricing to match big-box stores. It’s a policy many people are not aware of and one that Agren emphasizes repeatedly, because he said people assume their prices are higher because they are an independent chain.

The distribution center will be staffed by 70-80 of the company’s 151 employees, including delivery teams, installers and service technicians. The building will also house a parts department from distributor Marcone — a national supplier of appliance repair parts, equipment and supplies.

Agren explained his service technicians try to diagnose a service issue before going to a customer’s home and order all the parts they might need to reduce service calls and inconvenience to customers. But that has meant additional shipping costs to return parts that were not needed — until now.

Agren said having the Marcone parts store at the center means they will have a greater inventory on hand, but only pay for parts as they need them, thus reducing shipping costs.

Another feature of the distribution center is a training room with washer/dryer hookups and electrical service. Agren said they plan to host training for installers and service technicians by national manufacturers and invite other regional independent dealers to learn about new products.

Agren Appliance’s new $9.5 million distribution center at 56 Harriman Drive in Auburn is seen Wednesday as preparations are made to open in mid-September. The warehouse will consolidate operations to serve its six stores, reducing costs and enhancing service, the company said. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The facility also houses several break rooms and bathrooms. There are workstations for the installers and service technicians, a customer service area, offices and a conference room.

Some advanced technology is also planned to help track and locate inventory and dispatch delivery teams, which will further enhance inventory management and control systems.