Back

ROOTS MVP OF THE MONTH
Bob Baker delivers the goods.
In more ways than one.
April 2005

Most customers take for granted how products appear magically in stores. Why shouldn’t they take it for granted? Most people give little thought to how merchandise gets to each location with such regularity. Why would they give much thought to it? Not Bob Baker. He thinks about it all the time. 

As the Director of Warehousing and Operations, Bob is a critical link in the Roots supply chain. He’s responsible for shipping products to Roots stores five days a week, 52 weeks a year. It’s a tall order that entails dispatching 40,000 units of merchandise on an average day to every Roots store in Canada and the United States.

Bob is based at the Roots Distribution Centre in Toronto, which in February moved to larger premises on Tycos Ave. The new facility has 15 percent more cubic space than the previous D.C. on Caledonia Ave. Working with a team of 90 people, Bob is a master of logistics and organization and staying on top of countless details at any given moment.

Thanks to Bob, the servicing of Roots stores is so efficient. Thanks to Bob, the retail managers have what to sell when they need it.  Thanks to Bob, when stores and customers ask for something in the way of a product, they get it, quickly. In recognition of his continuing hard work and dedication, Bob is this month’s Roots MVP (Most Valuable Player). He’s earned it.

“I’m honoured at being chosen as MVP,” says Bob, who joined Roots in 1997. “I consider this award a recognition of my entire team and accept it on their behalf. It’s their devotion and hard work that allow me to get the job done every day.”

Bob says the biggest challenge in his work is ensuring that the stores consistently receive the variety of products and size breakdown that they request to meet the needs of their customers. Bob also knows the importance of timeliness. When it comes to the Roots stores in the Toronto area, he’s able to get products from the Roots factory to local stores fast, often within hours after they’ve been made. Try to find a quicker turn-around time than that.

“The job Bob did in planning, building and executing the move to our new warehouse was truly phenomenal,” says Roots Co-Founder Don Green. “If you think moving an apartment or house is difficult task, try moving hundreds of thousands of garments, fixtures and furniture over a 48-hour period. Bob is a natural who gets the job done effortlessly and knows when to step it up. Michael and I believe he’s truly there for us and is constantly looking at doing the right thing for Roots.”

Bob, 55, grew up in Guyana and moved to Canada in 1988. He first worked for a women's clothing retailerin Montreal before moving to Toronto in 1996. He initially worked for Roots as an outside consultant and shortly after joined Roots at a time when the Distribution Center was on Densley Ave in the Keele-Lawrence area of Toronto. Since then, Bob has made a substantial difference in the entire warehousing and distributing side of Roots. We’re lucky to have him on the Roots team. He’s truly an MVP.

Back