Dot Foods plans to open a new distribution center next year in Manchester, Tenn.
Work on the food industry redistributor’s 13th U.S. distribution center is expected to get underway late this summer, with a goal of having the facility operational in fall 2023. The facility will be Dot’s second in Tennessee.
“Tennessee has a lot to offer businesses like ours,” said Joe Tracy, Dot Foods CEO. “Dot first called Tennessee home in the 1980s and early 90s, and we’ve loved being back in the state since the 2015 opening of our Dyersburg facility. We are very excited to establish a second Tennessee location in Manchester.
“The most critical factor in continuing our business’ history of growth is talent. We know Coffee County and the surrounding region has a lot of it to offer. We look forward to joining this community and growing our Dot Foods and Dot Transportation family.”
Dot said it will invest $50.5 million into the 177,000-square-foot plant and create 251 new jobs in Coffee County. Dot Transportation, the private fleet of Dot Foods, already is hiring truck drivers in the region.
The Manchester location will include offices and dry, refrigerated, and frozen warehouse space. Warehouse and office job positions will be posted in spring 2023, Dot said. Manchester will be the first of the company’s facilities to open with a Family Health Center on-site to provide convenient, high-quality, low-cost medical care to those on Dot’s health insurance plan. In addition, the Manchester location will be designed with the ability to expand all warehouse and office spaces in future years to meet Dot Foods’ growing customer demand in the Southeast.
“Tennessee’s strong business climate and highly skilled workforce continue to attract businesses to our state,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said. “I thank Dot Foods for investing in Coffee County and providing opportunities for Tennesseans to thrive.”
Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Mt. Sterling, Ill., Dot Foods is North America’s largest food industry redistributor, serving all 50 states and more than 55 countries with a product offering of more than 125,000 items. Today, the family-owned and -operated business employs more than 6,300 across North America.
In the last five years, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) has supported more than 60 economic development projects in the Southern Middle Tennessee region, resulting in roughly 8,000 job commitments and $5.2 billion in capital investment.
“Tennessee is uniquely positioned to provide companies with easy access to their markets around the globe,” said Bob Rolfe, TNECD commissioner. “We thank Dot Foods for locating another food distribution center in Tennessee and are confident that Manchester and Coffee County will support this company’s future success.”
