Natural Foods Distributor To Build Massive Center In Western Wisconsin

One of the largest organic and natural food distributors in the country is building a distribution center in Wisconsin’s far-west Prescott, close to the Twin Cities. City officials say it’ll be the largest employer in the area by far.

United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI) will build a nearly 300,000 square foot distribution center in this western Wisconsin city and expects to hire around 300 people when operations are in full swing. Prescott Mayor Mark Huber says the $34 million project will have ripple effects for his community.

“It’s going to be huge,” Huber said. “The impact will touch things like the employment and unemployment figures of current residents, it’ll increase property values and values of homes faster than they would otherwise be affected by the general, regional economic climate.”

Construction is set to begin this spring, as soon as the ground thaws out. UNFI Group President Sean Griffin said they own two specialty food companies in Minnesota and are looking to consolidate in Prescott.

“We’ve got expiring leases in those two businesses,“ Griffin said, ”and wanted to do some analytics in terms of what would be the sweet spot of distribution for UNFI.”

Griffin says this will be their second distribution center in Wisconsin. He says this plant will allow them to better reach existing customers in the Twin Cities metro area and hopefully grow new customers across the Midwest.

“It’ll take us some time, but we really will get to know this community and the community will get to know us,“ he said. ”We’re looking forward to terrific growth and the relationship.”

Griffin says employees would be paid a market rate but wouldn’t specify what that was. He hopes to have the Prescott distribution center up and running by summer of 2015.