SpartanNash opens Produce and Floral Distribution Center in Fargo

GNDC was invited to attend the grand opening and ribbon cutting of SpartanNash’s Fargo Produce Distribution Center. This facility is 80,000 square feet dedicated to produce and floral distribution. The temperature-controlled building, located at 3402 4th Avenue South in Fargo, serves their ten ND corporate-owned stores, as well as more than 85 of their independent grocery retailers. With capacity for 1,600 items – including 300 organic items, the center features banana and avocado ripening rooms that include organic flash sustainable technology for improved shelf life and color consistency.
 
We pulled EVP of Merchandising and Marketing, Lori Raya, aside during the event to discuss the benefits of the center to the state.
 
GNDC: What does this facility mean to North Dakota?
Raya: We are excited to be here in Fargo. It’s great for jobs within the area, as well as providing more quality, better products, and expanded variety to our customers, our corporate stores of Family Fare and Dan’s Market, as well as our independent retailers. It’s great to be part of the region. This facility is about economic growth, that’s what we are trying to do and trying to provide as a company.
 
What does this facility mean to SpartanNash?
The biggest thing for SpartanNash, what this means to us, is pride. To be able to invest $10 million into a community to build a facility of this nature to support the local region, it’s very special for us. We are a company proud of taking food places, we are also a business that we feel relationships matter and we can be trusted. That’s what we are trying to do, be a best of class retailer bringing product across the country, but where relationships and local really matter.
 
This facility was developed with new technology, including some specific proprietary information, can you share about this?
One of the things is the equipment in the facility, it’s all non-CO2 emitting. We are trying to be better for the planet, better for the environment. Additionally, we’ve added [motion-sensored] LED lighting, better for the planet, better for all of us. And then the banana rooms allow us to bring a better product for all of our customers.
 
You mentioned that this facility was adding jobs to the state’s economy, can you give us a bit more information?
This facility will add 30 jobs, our plan is to expand on that as our business grows. They will be working at the warehouse facility-selectors, order writers, buyers. These individuals will be making sure that we put the very best product on every truck for all of our customers.
 
Is this facility serving the city, the state, the region?
We are serving a lot of the state but really the states surrounding North Dakota, including Minnesota and the region around.
 
SpartanNash is the sixth-largest wholesale food distributor and leading distributor of grocery products to US commissaries throughout the world. In the Fargo area, there are currently 370+ employees.