Distribution center could bring hundreds of jobs to Westfield
WESTFIELD, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Pending approval of government incentives, construction will begin next spring in Westfield on a new distribution center for Gordon Food Service. The Michigan-based company announced Wednesday its plans to build the $150 million food storage facility in the Northpoint Industrial Park. The company says the distribution center will initially create more than 200 jobs when it opens, with the long-term hope of creating more than 400 by the end of 2025.
Before dirt is moved however, GFS wants to get state and local government enticements, such as tax credits, in place.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook says the development efforts in Westfield are paying off by attracting companies such as GFS.
“The fact that Westfield’s been able to create a place where people want to live and, of course, the whole game plan today is a city must provide a workforce,” said Cook. “With the great variety of a workforce that we can provide here in Westfield with all of our school quality, our trails and Grand Park and our Grand Junction downtown, we can attract good paying jobs. We can attract employees of that nature and we can also draw further north more of a blue collar worker. This is what we’re selling right now is Westfield can provide a very wide variety of a workforce.”
The company says the new 500,000-square-foot facility will be semi-automated, using mini-loaders, mini-shuttles, and conveyors designed to assist staff in moving products through the warehouse. It will include three temperature zones for product storage, freezer, cooler and room temperature.
“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,” Rich Wolowski, Gordon Food Service president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. “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.”
GFS has 17 distribution centers across the country, and this will be its first in Indiana.
“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,” said Governor Eric Holcomb.
GFS says training programs will be offered to support skills development for the local workforce. Hourly wages are expected to range from $20-$25 an hour.
Pending approval of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. 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.
Also, Mayor Cook says the city council will consider additional incentives on November 11. Upon approval of state and local incentives, construction will begin in the spring of 2020.
The company plans to open the distribution center in late 2021.