Dot Foods hosts ground-breaking ceremony at new Ingersoll distribution centre

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Dot Foods Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of the largest food industry redistributor in North America, held a ground-breaking at a new $50 million, 168,875 sq. ft. distribution centre in Ingersoll.

โ€œWe are very strategic in determining the best place to build a new facility,โ€ said John Tracy, executive chairman of Dot Foods Canada. โ€œIngersoll is a great location for us because of the workforce available here and the space available to support our future growth.

โ€œWeโ€™re excited about the careers we have to offer and about the people who will join our Dot Foods Canada family. Thereโ€™s a lot of opportunity for our distribution model in Canada, and we look forward to better serving our current customers and reaching new ones with the establishment of this distribution center.โ€

Work on the Dot Foods Canada Ingersoll distribution center is already underway. Dot selected Maple Reinder as the design-builder of the project. Dot will also employ a substantial number of local and regional contractors on this project.

โ€œWeโ€™re very excited that Ingersoll is part of Dot Foodsโ€™ future and welcome them into our community,โ€ said Ted Comiskey, Mayor of Ingersoll, Ontario. โ€œDot Foodsโ€™ investment highlights the strategic location and opportunities that Ingersoll has to offer. Weโ€™re very proud of the fact that Dot will be creating hundreds of great jobs and giving very generously through their charitable endeavours. We look forward to a very bright future for Dot Foods, Ingersoll, Oxford County, and all of Southwestern Ontario.โ€

Phase one of the Ingersoll distribution center will include offices and dry, refrigerated, and frozen warehouse space. The L-shaped designed of the building gives Dot the ability to easily expand all warehouse and office spaces in future years, up to as much as 350,000 square feet, to meet the companyโ€™s growing customer demand in Canada. Eventually, Dot will also add on-site garage facilities to support the Dot Transportation Canada, Inc., fleet.

โ€œDot Foodsโ€™ new distribution centre will be a wonderful addition here in Ingersoll,โ€ said Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford. โ€œI am excited to see how Dot Foodsโ€™ philanthropic spirit will positively impact Ingersoll and surrounding communities. The company has pledged $50,000 in donations to five non-profit organizations in the area, and I commend Dot Foodsโ€™ and its employeesโ€™ dedication to volunteerism.โ€

The Ingersoll ground-breaking also marked the kickoff of Dot Canadaโ€™s charitable giving program at its newest location. Tracy announced $50,000 in donations to five area nonprofit organizations:

  • Salvation Army Food Pantry: $10,000
  • Operation Sharing: $10,000
  • Ingersoll Interchurch: $10,000
  • STICH Supper Club: $10,000
  • Alzheimerโ€™s Society: $10,000

All of Dot Foodsโ€™ U.S. locations have a charitable committee that approves grants and coordinates volunteer opportunities for employees within the companyโ€™s five charitable focus areas. Giving back to their community was a priority for Dot Foods co-founders Robert (RT) and Dorothy Tracy and continues to be a major focus for the company and its employees today. Dot Foods Canada will take the same charitable approach with the opening of the Ingersoll location.

โ€œThis is part of our commitment to being a good neighbor,โ€ Tracy explained. โ€œMy parents felt strongly that our company has a responsibility to do our part to support the community we call home. This is where our employees will live and work, so itโ€™s important that we invest in the groups that are doing the important work of caring for this community. This is just the start. We look forward to supporting many more groups in the region with time, talent, and treasure as we get our Ingersoll facility up and running.โ€

Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, Dot Foods is North Americaโ€™s largest food industry redistributor, serving all 50 states and more than 55 countries with a product offering of 125,000 items.

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