Diaz Foods announced the opening of its newest distribution center. The former USDA-approved food facility located in Manassas, Va., was converted into a state-of-the-art distribution center with fiber optic-enabled Wi-Fi and a completely paperless picking system.

The 100,000-square-foot warehouse includes 22 dock doors, marking a strategic transition away from a centralized distribution model. In the multi-distribution center model, all business functions such as purchasing and sales strategies will be centralized in the Atlanta headquarters. This model should allow efficient distribution of the best specialty products to customers across more than 7,000 distribution points

With almost 40,000 square feet of refrigerated and freezer space and 60,000 of dry space, the Manassas distribution center will maintain a product portfolio that includes fresh produce, frozen seafood, dairy, meats and over 4,000 dry grocery items sourced from all over the world, including Latin America, China, South Korea, Thailand and the Caribbean.

“The new Virginia distribution center offers the perfect complement to our distribution goals of providing superior service to both foodservice and retail customers while simultaneously increasing Diaz Foods’ presence in the Mid-Atlantic and New England markets,” says Rene Diaz, president and CEO.

In its first year alone, the new center is expected to handle over $50 million in sales volume. This distribution center is the second phase in a 4-part plan that began with Diaz Foods’ 2014 acquisition of La Cena Fine Foods Ltd. The new distribution center will extend access to Diaz Foods’ 6,000-item product portfolio to the New England area, as well as expand the La Cena brand into the Southeast.