Fanatics cutting 286 jobs as it closes south Hillsborough distribution center

Jacksonville sports apparel company Fanatics is closing its Riverview distribution center next year and will lay off 286 employees.

The company announced the closure and job cuts in a letter sent to state and local officials Friday and posted to the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification database Monday. 

The letter was sent to meet federal WARN requirements.

In it, Fanatics says the cuts will begin March 1 and continue until July 31, as of now the official closing date. Some operational changes, however, will begin in January.

The Oak Creek distribution center is at 8221 Eagle Palm Drive in Riverview, between Tampa and Manatee County. 

The closure comes about a year after Fanatics opened a new distribution center in nearby Tampa that is better equipped to handle current demand.

According to a statement from the company, the Riverview center was included in its acquisition of sports apparel manufacturer Majestic in 2017. 

“As our business has grown and our operational needs have evolved,” the statement says, “the facility can no longer support the scale, technology and innovation required to meet our long-term goals.”

The company will offer severance to affected employees and hold job fairs in the coming months. Employees will also be able to apply to open positions at other Fanatics locations.

Even with the closure, Fanatics will continue to have a strong presence in Tampa. Along with the new center at 6205 Hoover Blvd., there is also a corporate office and a retail store in Raymond James Stadium. 

In all, Fanatics employees 850 in the area. According to its website, it employs more than 22,000 worldwide.