United Natural Foods, Inc. Announces Plans for New Texas Distribution Facility
October 27 2009 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Natural
Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNFI) (the "Company"), the leading national
distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods, today
announced plans to lease a new 590,000 SF distribution center in
Lancaster, Texas. Owned by ProLogis (NYSE: PLD), a leading global
provider of distribution facilities, the recently constructed
building is strategically located 15 miles south of downtown Dallas
at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 35. The facility provides
UNFI with an ideal location to support retailers throughout the
Southwest including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and
Louisiana. Operations are scheduled to commence in the fall of 2010
and, within the first year, the Company expects to employ
approximately 130 new associates at the facility. Strategically,
the Lancaster distribution center extends UNFI's focus on lowering
operating costs in its distribution network; enhancing
efficiencies, improving productivity through "best in class"
warehousing and inventory control systems as well as reducing
Greenhouse gas emissions. The Lancaster facility will be the
Company's 21st distribution center in its nationwide distribution
network. Schematic design plans for the new facility are near
completion and include: dry grocery as main program space; 54,000
SF of refrigeration and freezer space; an expanded cold dock; and
nearly 20,000 SF for employee offices and workspaces. Environmental
design plans will focus on resource and energy conservation, use of
sustainable and recycled-content building materials, and
exceptional indoor air quality for the building occupants. UNFI
intends to submit an application to the USGBC for LEED ®
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification upon
completion of the build out. Steve Spinner, President and Chief
Executive Officer, commented, "Focused on extending our market
share and enhancing growth opportunities, this new distribution
center will augment our growing presence in the Southwestern United
States. Additionally, by transferring distribution routes from our
Denver facility to Lancaster, we will be reducing greenhouse gas
and CO2 emissions, improving service levels to customers in this
region and enhancing overall operating efficiencies." Commenting on
UNFI's announcement, Marcus Knight, Mayor of the City of Lancaster
stated, "Lancaster is delighted to be the home of UNFI's newest
distribution center. We are all counting on this new partnership
with UNFI to be one of long term mutual benefit and a terrific
addition to the many corporations represented in Lancaster. As
Mayor of the City of Lancaster and on behalf of the City Council
and citizens of Lancaster, we extend a very warm welcome to UNFI."
"We are very pleased to welcome UNFI to our Dallas portfolio," said
Rob Huthnance, ProLogis first vice president and market officer in
Dallas. "With a sophisticated supply chain network, established
distribution operations and a long-term commitment to
sustainability, UNFI is a well-respected customer and we are glad
to have begun a long-term business relationship." "Lancaster is a
great community with a very receptive, strong workforce and we are
excited to expand our distribution network into Texas," added Tom
Dziki, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Development. "We
sincerely appreciate the support and assistance provided by the
City of Lancaster to make this project a reality and we look
forward to a great partnership with the community of Lancaster for
many years to come." The Company plans to pursue LEED® (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for this
distribution facility once retrofitting is completed and facility
operations commence. LEED® is a third party certification program
and a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction
and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED® promotes a
whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing
performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor environmental quality. About United
Natural Foods United Natural Foods, Inc. (http://www.unfi.com/)
carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than
17,000 customers nationwide. The Company serves a wide variety of
retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural
product superstores, independent retail operators and the food
service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in
2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by
Fortune in 2006, 2007 and 2009 as one of its "Most Admired
Companies," ranked by Business Ethics as one of its "100 Best
Corporate Citizens for 2006" and winner of the Supermarket News
2008 Sustainability Excellence Award. "Safe Harbor" Statement under
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in
this press release regarding the Company's business that are not
historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve
risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and
management's estimates; actual results may differ materially. The
risks and uncertainties which could impact these statements are
described in the Company's filings under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, including its quarterly report on Form 10K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 1,
2009, and include, but are not limited to, the Company's dependence
on principal customers; the Company's sensitivity to general
economic conditions, including the current economic environment,
changes in disposable income levels and consumer spending trends;
increased fuel costs; the Company's sensitivity to inflationary
pressures; the relatively low margins and economic sensitivity of
the Company's business; the ability to identify and successfully
complete acquisitions of other foodservice distributors; and
management's allocation of capital and the timing of capital
expenditures. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such,
speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to
update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective
date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any
projections of future results of operations are based on a number
of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company's control and
should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such
results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change
and could differ materially from final reported results. The
Company may from time to time update these publicly announced
projections, but it is not obligated to do so. About ProLogis
ProLogis is a leading global provider of distribution facilities,
with more than 475 million square feet of industrial space (44
million square meters) in markets across North America, Europe and
Asia. The company leases its industrial facilities to more than
4,500 customers, including manufacturers, retailers, transportation
companies, third-party logistics providers and other enterprises
with large-scale distribution needs. For additional information
about the company, go to http://www.prologis.com/. DATASOURCE:
United Natural Foods CONTACT: Mark Shamber, Chief Financial Officer
of United Natural Foods, +1-860-779-2800; or Joseph Calabrese, of
Financial Relations Board, (General Information), +1-212-827-3772,
, for United Natural Foods Web Site: https://www.unfi.com/
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