Retailer Nordstrom joins COE

Adding to the continued growth and diversity of the Center for Operational Excellence, specialty fashion retailer Nordstrom Inc. has become its newest member.

Seattle-based Nordstrom was founded as a shoe business in 1901 and has grown into one of the leading specialty fashion retailers in the nation with more than 250 stores and a vibrant e-commerce business. The company employs about 62,500 full- and part-time workers and recorded nearly $12.2 billion in revenue in its last fiscal year.

Nordstrom joins COE as it begins its operational excellence journey in its back-office operations. As a retailer entering this process improvement space, the company is ahead of the curve for its industry, said COE Executive Director Peg Pennington.

“It’s tremendously encouraging to see a retailer such as Nordstrom making a firm commitment to operational excellence,” she said. “The industry provides many opportunities for transformational change, and we look forward to partnering with Nordstrom.”

Nordstrom is COE’s second new member this year, following the addition of Clopay Plastic Products this spring.