On Wednesday, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook joined Governor Eric Holcomb and executives with Gordon Food Service in announcing Westfield as the location to build Gordon Food Service’s new state-of-the-art distribution center. The Michigan-based company plans to make a significant investment to build a semi-automated facility creating more than 200 new jobs initially, with long-term potential of more than 400.
Wolowski
Cook
“I am thrilled to welcome Gordon Food Service to Westfield,” said Cook. “We have worked hard to create a caring community that can attract and sustain this kind of investment. From experience, I am well aware that Gordon Food Service is an employee and community-minded company. They will fit in perfectly here in Westfield.”
“Our roots are in the Midwest, where our business has steadily increased for decades, and we continue to grow by offering customers great service and an even wider range of products,” says Rich Wolowski, Gordon Food Service President and CEO. “We saw an opportunity to place a new distribution center in a strong, established market, giving us the ability to deliver more efficiently to our customers.”
“It’s an extremely exciting day for Indiana as we celebrate another fantastic company growing in our state and creating hundreds of quality career opportunities for Hoosiers,” said Holcomb. “With options all over the Midwest and around the world, Gordon Food Service chose Indiana to launch its new distribution center, and I couldn’t be more grateful. We’ll continue working to take Indiana’s business environment to the next level, ensuring their future success in Indiana.”
The 500,000 square-foot facility will be located in the NorthPoint Industrial Park. It will be the company’s 17th distribution center in the United States and its first in Indiana. The new facility will include three temperature zones for product storage (freezer, cooler and ambient) and feature a Concept Kitchen and administrative office space. The new facility will be semi-automated, using mini-loaders, mini-shuttles and conveyors designed to assist staff in moving products quickly and safely through the warehouse.
“The Westfield facility will be outfitted with the latest technology and warehouse automation innovation,” said Dean Noble, Gordon Food Service Chief Operating Officer. “The robotics and interior layout will greatly reduce manual labor and help ensure the accuracy of orders shipped to our customers.”
When the new Distribution Center opens in late 2021, it will serve customers in the Greater Indianapolis area. Prior to opening, more than 200 people will be hired and trained. The jobs available will include operation and maintenance of advanced warehouse equipment and robotics, in addition to transportation, sales and administrative positions. Training programs will be offered to support skills development for the local workforce. Hourly wages are expected to range from $20 to $25 an hour.
Pending approval of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors, Gordon Food Service will be offered up to $5 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The Westfield City Council will consider additional incentives at its Nov. 11 meeting. Upon approval of state and local incentives, construction will begin in the spring of 2020.
To learn more about Gordon Food Service visit gfs.com.
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