Gordon Food Service plans to build three new distribution centers. The company will break ground on a 100,000-square-foot distribution center in Wyoming, Mich. This facility is expected to be operational in spring 2014.

A 260,000-square-foot facility will be built near Atlanta, Ga. Construction will begin this summer, and the facility is expected to be operational in summer 2014. The Atlanta-area distribution center will employ approximately 200 within three years.

The third facility to be built is a 420,000-square-foot facility in the greater Pittsburgh, Pa., area. Construction will also begin this fall and is expected to be operational in spring 2015. The Pittsburgh-area facility will employ approximately 300 within 3-5 years.

In addition to adding these three new facilities to its U.S. distribution network, the company also announced plans to consolidate warehouse operations from two existing facilities.

The 114,000-square-foot Ocala, Fla., facility will be consolidated into the company’s Plant City, Fla., distribution center. Gordon Food Service purchased the 1 million-square-foot facility in January 2010. After considerable analysis, the company determined that consolidating these two facilities is the best way to serve its customers in the region as efficiently and effectively as possible. Employees impacted by this change will be offered positions at the Plant City facility. The transition from Ocala to Plant City is expected to be complete by late fall 2013.

Upon completion of the new Atlanta-area facility, the company will consolidate the warehouse operations of its 110,000-square-foot Greenville, S.C., facility into the new facility. The facility is operating at maximum capacity and the company has determined it is necessary to expand its distribution network in this region. Employees impacted by this change will be offered opportunities at the new facility. This transition is expected to be complete by fall 2014.

“We have been studying our distribution network in the United States intensively for several months,” says Tony Groll, president. “We are excited about the growth opportunities the new facilities will generate, but regret the impact the consolidation of the Ocala and Greenville facilities will have on the affected employees, their families and the communities where they reside. We are hopeful that our current team members impacted by these changes will take advantage of new opportunities within the company and the incentives we will offer to help them stay with us.”