Funko to move warehouse operations from Washington to Arizona
Company officials say they’ve outgrown their warehouse space in western Washington. Company headquarters will remain in Everett.
EVERETT, Wash. – An estimated 300 to 400 Funko warehouse workers have received word that their jobs will be relocated to Buckeye, Arizona, outside of Phoenix.
Sources within the company told KING 5 that the news came out of nowhere.
Everett city officials said they weren’t advised either, but the move wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“I’m not terribly surprised because it’s such a hot inventory market right now,” said Dan Eernissee, Everett’s director of economic development.
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Funko operates five warehouses in western Washington, four in Everett and one in Puyallup.
Staff were told not to speak to reporters, but one of them contacted KING 5 and said: “The meeting reeked of cowardice and inappropriateness on the part of the company. A majority of the workforce is made up of locals from Everett and wider Snohomish County, and they also have family ties here.”
Funko moved its corporate headquarters to Everett in August 2017 to much fanfare. The downtown headquarters is part office space, part retail entertainment venue.
RELATED: Funko expands headquarters to downtown Everett
Fans of the company’s trademarks have often lined up around the block to shop for the collectibles.
On Thursday evening, the company announced to its workers that it had outgrown its multiple warehouses in Washington.
According to Eernissee, it makes sense for Funko to move all of its warehouse operations under one roof, and the move might even be good for Everett in the long run.
“This is just a sign of growth and continued strength in the Everett market,” said Eernissee.
RELATED: Everett’s Funko store is more of an amusement park than a retail outlet
In a written statement, a company spokesman told KING 5: “We will be working with our distribution center staff to assist them with the transition, including a potential relocation and/or other opportunities within the organization.”
That spokesman confirmed the company’s headquarters would remain in Everett, and Eernissee said he had no reason to doubt it.
“Funko has consistently embraced Everett. They could have moved to so many places, but they were born and raised here in Everett.”
The move is scheduled to begin in April and be completed by the end of the year.
The empty storage areas are likely to be filled quickly, Eernissee said.
“The stock that Funko did was good, but we can replace it. I get calls asking for 100,000 square feet. Those are the ones I expect.”
Funko employees have been offered severance packages and help relocating to Arizona if they so desire.