United Natural Foods (UNFI) announced a new 1.3 million square foot leased distribution center currently under construction in Manchester, PA.
The property represents the next generation of grocery distribution warehousing and will help UNFI continue to serve its growing regional customer base, said the company in a press release. The temperature-controlled facility is expected to be finished over the next 15 months.
This new facility will be additive to the company’s portfolio of distribution centers in Pennsylvania and, once complete, will provide UNFI with increased network capacity, improved capability to deliver its comprehensive product and services offering more efficiently, and support continued customer growth in the mid-Atlantic region.
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The addition of the Manchester distribution center is also an essential investment in UNFI associates, as the facility will offer an enhanced overall experience highlighted by a lifestyle center aimed at improving retention and overall employee engagement through a more modern, associate-friendly workplace.
“Our York facility, located less than 15 minutes away, has felt the impact of both new and existing customer growth we’ve experienced in this region over the last 12-18 months,” said Erin Horvath, UNFI’s Chief Operating Officer.
“Leasing this facility allows us to best utilize our capital and manage company resources, all while delivering on our transformation program, to enhance our distribution network by enabling our multi-echelon re-distribution strategy to support our customer growth effectively. Similar to several other UNFI facilities, this new distribution center will implement technology and automation solutions designed to enable greater network capacity, scalability, and profitability,” Horvath added.
The Manchester facility is located at 1025 Locust Point Road. It represents the latest in a series of transactions completed by Scout Cold Logistics, an affiliate of AEW Capital Management, all of which are focused on food distribution and production assets throughout the U.S.