Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lakeland, Fla., selected LEO A DALY, Omaha, Neb., and its subsidiary engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), Houston, Texas, to design a new refrigerated and frozen foods distribution campus in McLeansville, N.C. Construction is expected to be completed in 2021.

This is Publix’s tenth distribution center.

“As a proud community supporter, Publix is excited to create hundreds of new employment opportunities and to help provide for greater economic prosperity in Guilford County,” says Randy Barber, vice president industrial maintenance and purchasing for PUBLIX. “We are eager to collaborate with LEO A DALY and LAN to bring our tenth distribution center to fruition.”

The new campus will feature an approximately 1 million-square-foot refrigerated/frozen warehouse. LEO A DALY and LAN will provide architecture and engineering services, including fire protection, refrigeration engineering and sustainability consulting. Future plans for the site include a dry warehouse and manufacturing facility. 

The design team will use building information modeling to track costs throughout the design process, and virtual reality to plan spaces, receive faster client feedback and reduce waste.

“To compete in a marketplace, distributors need a lean, value-engineered approach to design. LEO A DALY and LAN’s integrated team will work closely with Publix to maximize the value of this campus, both during construction and in its long-term operation,” says Michael Schmidt, architect, market-sector leader for food, distribution and manufacturing, LEO A DALY.