PLANT CITY – Gordon Food Service, a leading distributor of food products to foodservice operators such as restaurants, schools, universities, and healthcare facilities across Florida’s central region, is expanding in Plant City.
The company will add at least 100 new jobs and another 160,000 square feet of cold storage and distribution space to its existing facilities at 1410 Gordon Food Service Drive.
“Plant City’s central location and easy access to the I-4 corridor provided us with the perfect location to expand our distribution center and increase services to our customers across Central Florida,” said Kirk Zell, general manager of Gordon Food Service – Florida.
Gordon Food Service, a 118-year old private company headquartered in Wyoming, Mich., established operations in Plant City in 2010. The company’s rapid growth soon outpaced capacity at the Plant City Distribution Center, driving the need for more cold storage space. The expansion includes the addition of 90,000 square feet of cooler space and 70,000 square feet of freezer space.
Construction on the expansion is underway and is expected to be completed in 2016.
In 2012, the City of Plant City approved a moratorium on the collection of transportation mobility fees to increase the community’s competitiveness in pursuing high-impact economic development projects. The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation (EDC) assisted Gordon Food Service in taking advantage of this fee waiver, helping the company save an estimated $45,000 in expansion-related costs.
“Gordon Food Service has been a fantastic corporate partner in Plant City since their arrival,” said Randy Larson, chairman of the Plant City Economic Development Corporation. “Their continued growth and confidence in this community is a testament to our efforts to make Plant City one of the easiest places to do business in Central Florida.”
