Thrifty Foods’ parent company Sobeys Inc. broke ground Thursday, July 28, on its new distribution centre near the Victoria International Airport. The new 152,000-square-foot facility will be up and running by late 2012.
The distribution centre will be built on 11.4 acres of land. The facility will support future Thrifty Foods’ growth and, at the same time, increase service levels at its 20 Vancouver Island and six Lower Mainland retail grocery stores as well as three upcoming stores in New West (Fall 2011), Courtenay South, and Maple Ridge (mid-2012).
The facility will employ about 50 people in the first year of the operation and will increase with the expected additional volume in the future years.
The distribution centre will be LEED inspired and incorporate many sustainable and energy saving features, including:
- Implementation of waste recycling both during and after construction
- Use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood in the building to encourage environmentally responsible forest management
- Use of highly efficient mechanical systems to use the waste heat from the refrigeration system to heat the office areas, provide hot water, and feed the in-floor radiant heating system
- Reduce pollution from automobiles by encouraging the use of car sharing, providing electrical outlets for hybrid vehicles, and bike racks and shower facilities for employees
- Reduce exterior lighting levels by incorporating cut off fixtures to reduce night sky pollution
{advertisement} Thrifty Foods currently has two distribution centres, which distribute to all 26 Thrifty Foods stores and, through a wholesale division, to more than 60 independent grocers province wide. With more than 4,800 employees, Sobeys Inc., operating as Thrifty Foods, is Vancouver Island’s largest private-sector employer.
