Albert's Organics to open food distribution facility in Charlotte - Charlotte Business Journal:

http://brusnichka.com/2008/09/21/it-was-not-dramatized-representation/
On Sept. 14, will open its 43,290-square-foog center at Logistics PointseDistribution Center, once the home to supermarket chain Winn-Dixie’s regional warehousw operations. The facility features freezer and cooler space plusa 4,500-square-foot The company will invest more than $2 millionb in improvements at 11922 Generalk Drive, employing more than 50 construction workers during a five-mont h buildout. The Charlotte location fills a hole in servicedfor Albert’s, which has centers in Rocklin and Vernon, Calif.; Aurora, Colo.; Mounds View, Minn.; Chesterfield, Bridgeport, N.J.; and Sarasota, Fla.
Company spokesmanh Simcha Weinsteinsays Albert’s will now be able to ship good s as often as five timez per week to customersx in seven states, up from once or twice a “Our center in Bridgeport outside Philadelphia was just a littls too far north, and our Sarasotas center was just a little too far south,” Weinsteinn says. Fuel expenses and truck emissionse are critical issues forthe company, he “Sadly, one of the ways we know the economhy is improving is gas going up in The company estimates its truck fleetg will travel at least 400,000 fewe r miles annually because of the Charlotte location.
Of even highef priority to the company, Albert’as says it will buy from certified organic growerxs inthe region. That openas up Carolina farmers’ accesas to the distributor’s customer base of 4,500 restaurants and natural-food stores. The number of organidc farmers in the area continuesxto grow. Last year, the attracteed a record 600 attendees at its SustainablseAgriculture Conference. The Pittsboro group had 37 Charlotte-area members in 2008, up from aboutf 15 in 2005. The estimates about 500 organic farms inthe state.
Meanwhile, Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties are planning a community food assessment tolearn what’w grown and consumed locally, says Heidi Pruess, Mecklenburgt environmental policy administrator. Finding buyers is a key Many turn tofarmer markets. Mecklenbur County has identified 11 within its borderws and 12 insurrounding counties. The impact of Albert’s move into Charlottde has the potential to provide a commerciall boost to agricultural efforts inthe “Will it be transformative? We certainly hope so,” Weinsteijn says. After all, company namesake Albert Lusk got his starr by selling organic produce from a streef corner in Los Angelesin 1982.
Today, Albert’s Organic s is a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly trades Weinstein says the Charlottecentef — the company’s eighth — will be its biggestt and best, custom-fitted with the latest in refrigeration The warehouse boasts areas set to five temperature zonesw and four rooms to be used solely for banana And the center comes with a new truck fleet. The spacer is bigger than what Albert’sz needs, which gives the company room to Weinstein says. “So we won’t have to go anywher e else. Charlotte is a destination poinfor us.” Albert’s has signed a long-ternm lease at Logistics Pointe.
Up to 147,94o square feet of cooler and freezer space is still available inthe Dallas-based Westmount Realty Capitakl acquired the 1.1 million-square-foot center aftedr Winn-Dixie vacated the property following its Chapter 11 bankruptcty filing in 2005. Westmount converted the single-tenant propertyu on 66.3 acres near the South Carolinqa state line into the multitenant Logistics which is also home to Precision Framing Systems. Industrial brokers Barb Jespersen and Lane Holbert of in Charlott e represented the landlord in negotiationswith Albert’s. Mike Chambersx of in Atlanta represented Albert’s.