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Tag: food distribution

Food/bev distributor opens $275M Caroline County center

Food and beverage distributor World Class Distribution has opened its nearly finished $275 million, 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Caroline County with 400 employees, the county’s board of supervisors announced Tuesday.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin initially announced the project in November 2022, at which time WCD expected to add 745 jobs. The company now plans to hire 1,000 employees, which would make it the largest employer in Caroline County, according to a news release.

“The opening of World Class Distribution is another step forward for the logistics industry in the commonwealth, one of North America’s premier supply chain destinations,” Youngkin said in a statement. “With plans to hire 1,000 employees, the company is well on its way and already providing opportunities for hardworking families in Caroline County.”

The 400 employees the company has hired so far are working on-site in the Caroline 95 Logistics Park in Ruther Glen while the remaining sections of the building’s interior are completed.

“World Class Distribution is another major new business in Caroline, hiring more citizens and creating even greater revenue for the county,” Caroline County Board of Supervisors Chairman Floyd Thomas said in a statement. “This is one of the businesses, along with … M.C. Dean’s 169,000-square-foot expansion, the Lingerfelt 325,000-square-foot building in Carmel Church and the $6 billion Amazon data center project near Thornburg that is making 2023 a banner development year for Caroline.”

Founded in 2009, World Class Distribution is a subsidiary of Tact Holding. It distributes food and beverage products, including canned foods, dry foods, candy, grocery, beer and wine, frozen foods and other refrigerated products. WCD manages 11 distribution centers throughout the country and has more than 4,500 employees in eight states.

Performance Food Group promotes three executives

Goochland County-based Fortune 500 food products distributor Performance Food Group Co. promoted three senior leaders to executive vice presidents on Wednesday.

Chief Information Officer Don Bulmer, Chief Human Resources Officer Erika Davis and General Counsel and Secretary Brent King became executive vice presidents of Performance Food Group. All three continue to report to the company’s chairman and CEO, George Holm.

“Today’s announcement is well-deserved recognition of the contributions Don, Erika and Brent make to PFG’s success,” Holm said in a statement. “These three leaders have each added deep industry experience to the diverse expertise they brought with them to PFG, and I am proud to serve with them on PFG’s senior leadership team.”

Bulmer became chief information officer and senior vice president of PFG in March 2019. He previously was vice president of corporate information technology for Vista, which he had been with since 2013. Before joining Vista, Bulmer held IT leadership roles with ProBuild Holdings LLC, Gates Corp. and Nupremis Inc.

He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in management information systems from the University of Colorado Denver.

Erika Davis photo courtesy Performance Food Group Co.

Davis joined PFG as chief human resources officer and senior vice president in July 2019 after 26 years with Mechanicsville-based Owens & Minor Inc. There, she served in several roles, including chief administrative officer, corporate chief of staff, senior vice president of operations and administration and senior vice president of human resources.

Davis has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree in public administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

King joined PFG in March 2016 as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Prior to joining PFG, King was vice president, general counsel and secretary for Richmond-based Tredegar Corp. Before that, King was vice president and general counsel for Hilb Rogal and Hobbs Co. He previously had served as a partner with Williams Mullen.

Brent King photo courtesy Performance Food Group Co.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

Performance Food Group has more than 150 locations and more than 30,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada. The company distributes food to more than 300,000 locations, including restaurants, businesses, schools, hospitals, theaters and convenience stores.

Mondelez to create 80 jobs with $122.5M Henrico expansion

Chicago-based snack company Mondelez International Inc. will invest $122.5 million over three years to expand its bakery and build a sales fulfillment center in Henrico County, creating about 80 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

“Mondelez International’s long-term investment in Central Virginia is a testament to the region’s top-notch talent and strong business climate,” Northam said in a statement. “We thank Mondelez for its long-term partnership, and we look forward to its continued success here in the commonwealth.”

The company, which owns the Oreo, Ritz, Wheat Thins and Chips Ahoy! brands, will expand its Richmond Biscuit Bakery by 68,000 square feet, enabling it to house an Oreo production line. The bakery employs more than 500 people.

Mondelez also will open a sales fulfillment center, which will create about 80 jobs. It is scheduled to open in 2022.

“We are excited about these further investments in our U.S. biscuit network and the opportunity to reaffirm and enhance the role of our Richmond manufacturing site, as well as our broader supply chain and business footprint here in Henrico County and in the commonwealth of Virginia,” Troy Ellis, Mondelez senior vice president of North America supply chain, said in a statement. “Our Richmond Biscuit Bakery has been a proud part of our company’s operations for nearly five decades and is geographically well-situated as the hub for our East Coast U.S. biscuit manufacturing. As we focus on leading the future of snacking, our presence in Henrico County continues to play an important part in us creating a best-in-class integrated supply chain which supports our U.S. business both now and for the future.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico Development Authority to secure the investment. Northam approved a $1.8 million Virginia Investment Performance Grant, an incentive for existing companies to continue capital investment. Mondelez is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, as well as the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit. The VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program will provide funding to support employee recruitment and training activities.

Canadian frozen food company to create 67 jobs in Warren County

Montreal-based Nature’s Touch Frozen Foods LLC will spend $40.3 million to expand in Warren County, creating 67 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.

Harrisonburg-based InterChange Group Inc. will build a 126,000-square-foot facility for Nature’s Touch. The company will import raw materials directly to the new facility for processing and distribution.

In 2014, Nature’s Touch established its Virginia production facility at Stephens Industrial Park in Warren County. The new facility will be across the street and will allow the company to integrate its product handling, making all parts of the process in-house. The company expects to increase the fruit produced annually through the Port of Virginia from 20 million pounds to 45 million pounds.

“Companies choose to invest in Virginia because they can reach customers around the world through the Port of Virginia, including the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal,” Northam said in a statement. “Nature’s Touch’s decision to reinvest is a testament to the strong qualities that make Virginia the country’s top state for business.”

Founded in 2004, Nature’s Touch supplies frozen fruit to retailers in Canada, the U.S., Australia and Japan. It offers private label programs in addition to its own brands and is one of the largest buyers of fruit globally.

“Nature’s Touch is excited to extend and expand its presence in Warren County,” Nature’s Touch Chief Operating Officer Dan Jewell said in a statement. “After extensive evaluation, we determined that Front Royal continues to be the most strategic location for the company’s hub facility for the East Coast United States. This, combined with the opportunity to extend the company’s ongoing strategic partnership with InterChange, made the decision to build the facility in Warren County an easy one for Nature’s Touch.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Warren County and the Port of Virginia to secure the project for Virginia, for which the state competed with Montreal. Northam approved a $400,000 Virginia Investment Performance grant, an incentive for existing companies to continue capital investment. Nature’s Touch is eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program. The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a workforce initiative created by the VEDP and Virginia Community College System, will provide customizable recruitment and training services at no cost to the company.

“Nature’s Touch has been a cornerstone food company in Warren County for the last decade, and we’re excited to have the company invest in this significant expansion and provide more jobs for our residents,” Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority Chair Jeff Browne said in a statement. “This expansion helps solidify Warren County’s reputation as an international manufacturing center in the food industry.”

Performance Food Group to build $80M facility in Hanover

Performance Food Group Co., the Goochland-based Fortune 500 food distribution corporation, plans to invest $80.2 million on a new facility in Hanover County, creating 125 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The regional sales and distribution center will be housed in a 325,000-square-foot building in Ashland.

“This new facility will be instrumental in advancing Virginia’s fast-growing supply chain management and logistics industries,” Northam said in a statement. “Performance Food Group’s significant investment in Hanover County and growing presence in Virginia is a testament to our strong business climate, robust infrastructure and top-notch talent. We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes from this project’s investment and job creation.”

Virginia competed with Pennsylvania and North Carolina for the project.

“Since the company’s founding in Richmond in 1885, Performance Food Group has called Virginia home,” Performance Food Group Chairman, President and CEO George Holm said in a statement. “With our new state-of-the-art food distribution facility in Hanover, Performance Food Group reaffirms its commitment to Virginia, our associates and our valued customers. Virginia’s talented workforce and business-friendly environment will continue to fuel Performance Food Group’s plans for growth.”
Performance Food Group, which went public in 2019, has a network of more than 150 locations in the United States and Canada, providing food to more than 300,000 locations, including restaurants, businesses, schools, hospitals, retail outlets, theaters and other facilities. In September, PFG completed its acquisition of convenience store supplier Core-Mark for $2.5 billion in stock and cash, a purchase expected to add about $17 billion to PFG’s annual sales.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Hanover County to secure the project, and VEDP will support job creation through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program. Performance Food Group is also eligible for benefits through the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for the full-time jobs created.