NEW JERSEY—Wakefern Food Corp. broke ground recently on a 524,000-sq.-ft. warehouse and distribution center in Elizabeth. Elberon Development Co. LLC is the developer on the project.
Last year, Wakefern transitioned its non-perishable operations to a temporary facility in Carteret to allow for the demolition and subsequent re-construction of its original grocery warehouse in Elizabeth, which was built in the late 1950s. This new location is expected to be complete in November 2013 and fully operational by May 2014.
This new 524,000-sq.-ft., temperature-controlled facility increases storage capabilities by more than 58 percent over the original building. In addition to the expanded space, the new facility will include 36-ft. high ceilings.
The company estimates that the new facility will bring more than 150 permanent jobs to the city of Elizabeth in a 10-year period.
Wakefern distributes non-perishable food products to ShopRite stores throughout N.J. N.Y., Pa. Conn., Del. and Md.
Since it was founded in 1946, Wakefern has become the largest retailer-owned cooperative group of supermarkets in the U.S. Headquartered in Keasbey, Wakefern operates more than 2.5 million sq. ft. of grocery and non-food warehousing.