Gordon Food Service Expands in Plant City
December 21, 2015
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. / 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, Michigan, established operations in Plant City in 2010. The company’s rapid growth in Central Florida 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.”
“Plant City is quickly gaining a national reputation as a magnet for fast-growing manufacturing, distribution and logistics operations,” said Colleen Chappell, chair of the Tampa Hillsborough EDC and CEO of ChappellRoberts. “Gordon Food Service joins an increasing number of companies such as Dart Container, Toufayan Bakeries, fitlife foods, James Hardie, and others who have found eastern Hillsborough County’s proximity to major interstates, Port Tampa Bay, and CSX rail lines as well as the availability of a high-quality workforce a perfect match for their needs.”
Gordon Food Service has already begun hiring for the new positions. Visit the company’s website at https://www.gfs.com/en/careers to search for opportunities online.
About Gordon Food Service
Since 1897, Gordon Food Service has delivered uncompromising quality and heartfelt service for their customers. They began as a simple butter-and-egg delivery service, and have grown to become the largest family business in the foodservice industry by upholding the same approach for over 115 years—remaining passionately committed to the people they serve. Today, they serve foodservice operators in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the United States and coast-to-coast in Canada. Gordon Food Service also operates more than 170 Gordon Food Service Store® locations in the U.S., which are open to the public and provide restaurant-quality products and friendly, knowledgeable service without a membership fee. By partnering with organizations from across industries—healthcare to education, independent and chain restaurants, and event planners—they help customers create food experiences that people choose, enjoy, and remember. For more information, visit www.gfs.com.
About the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead designated economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors, including Corporate Headquarters, Financial and Shared Services, Life Sciences, Defense and Security, and Manufacturing.
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation exists because of the generous support of over 100 corporations, Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. For more information, visit tampabayedc.com.
