GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The California-based ANUK team can feel the rumbles of growth rising as SpartanNash announced its latest expansion this week. The retailer is rolling out new operations at a Stockton, CA, facility, which was executed in partnership with Coastal Pacific Food Distributors (CPFD). The move comes as SpartanNash looks to strengthen its supply chain capabilities coast to coast while reducing fleet mileage and greenhouse gas emissions.

"Many of the national food retailers we distribute to are experiencing tremendous growth, which has been further propelled over the last two years due to COVID," said SpartanNash President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Sarsam. "We are proud of the essential role that SpartanNash plays in the nation's food supply chain. Having a West Coast presence allows us to provide faster, fresher, and more cost-effective deliveries to our customers so they can ensure their shoppers have access to the critical food and household supplies they need."

SpartanNash's distribution footprint stretches across all 50 states, supplying 145 company-owned grocery stores, more than 2,100 independent grocery retailers, and key national accounts that serve thousands of additional retail locations across the country. According to a press release, this new 500,000-square-foot, multi-temperature distribution center is expected to start serving existing and new SpartanNash customers starting in March.

"In the past year, we have made significant progress implementing our network optimization plan, and those efforts have already driven notable productivity improvements while also enabling us to better meet our customers' evolving demands," said SpartanNash Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Dave Petko. "The extension of our partnership with CPFD is another important step to ensure we have the right capacity in the right places and further enhances our operations and processes. In addition to enabling us to better serve our customers, our partnership with CPFD will positively impact the environment by augmenting our commitment to reduce our carbon emissions in 2022."

Not only will the facility help drive supply chain efficiencies, but it is expected to save an estimated one million gallons of diesel annually, representing the equivalent of more than 100 tankers of gasoline. This represents energy for more than 1,000 homes for one year, or more than 20,000 barrels of oil. The press release cited quantifications of environmental impact calculated via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website, noting that the amount is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by more than 150,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

CPFD President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff King also commented on the announcement.

"Our partnership with SpartanNash goes back 25 years and is one we are very proud of," said King. "We have developed and provided supply chain solutions for customers in all channels of our food distribution, including a worldwide network for our military service members and their families based around the globe. We are incredibly excited to expand our partnership with SpartanNash to help bring necessary solutions for some of our country's largest online and brick-and-mortar retail businesses that rely now more than ever on grocery items through our distribution channels. We look forward to the next 25 years of partnership."

As retail expansion takes place in California and beyond, ANUK will be here to bring you the latest.

SpartanNash Coastal Pacific Food Distributors