With design work complete, construction has begun on a distribution facility in Florence County.
This marks the fourth major project for Cheney Brothers Inc. for A M King, an integrated design-build firm with offices in Greenville, according to a news release. The 386,047-square-foot refrigerator/freezer distribution facility in Florence will include 45 loading docks, a Cheney Express and the largest culinary kitchen the company has developed to date.
A M King, Cheney Brothers Inc. and Florence County Economic Development Partnership hosted an official groundbreaking event recently.
The Florence facility, located on nearly 50 acres in the Pee Dee Commerce City East Industrial Park — across Interstate 95 from Buc-ee’s — will be the company’s first in South Carolina, the release stated. The new distribution center will provide means for the broadline distributor to significantly expand its reach in the region.
Scope of work will include 100,963 square feet of dry storage and a 36,098-square-foot dry dock; a 90,095-square-foot freezer; 60,683 square feet of cooler with separate rooms and temperatures for dairy/meat, flour and produce, and a 31,533-square-foot cooler dock; 30,424 square feet of office spaces; a 7,142-square-foot Cheney Express; and a 3,364-square-foot test kitchen.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Cheney Brothers to develop a facility of this magnitude and complexity,” A M King Business Unit Leader David Sawicki said in the release. “Our history of successful projects for CBI, along with our depth and breadth of food industry expertise, makes this an ideal venture.”
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Cheney Brothers Inc., based in Riviera Beach, Fla., was founded in 1925. In 2016, the company purchased Pate Dawson Co., thereby acquiring distribution and processing facilities in Statesville, N.C. and Greensboro, N.C., according to the release.
“This new distribution center in Florence will allow Cheney Brothers to enhance our customer service and obtain a higher level of customer satisfaction,” said Byron Russell, chairman and CEO at Cheney Brothers, in the release. “The support we have received from the State of South Carolina and the local communities has been tremendous.”
Cheney Brothers Inc. is a broadline food distributor that delivers more than 16,000 different products throughout the Southeast region of United States and in more than 100 countries, according to the release.
“We’re thrilled to witness Cheney Brothers break ground on their state-of-the-art distribution center, strategically sited to serve the Carolinas market,” said Florence County Economic Development Partnership Chair Joe W.” Rocky” Pearce in the release. “We look forward to a fruitful partnership and the realization of their $66+ million investment.”
Cheney Brothers employs more than 3,800 individuals and reports annual revenues exceeding $3.2 billion.
“We are immensely grateful for Cheney Brothers’ trust and investment in Florence County,” explains Florence County Council Chairman William Schofield. “We are confident that their presence will reflect the success of the thriving companies already here, creating jobs and making a lasting impact on our community. This partnership marks an exciting chapter in our journey toward growth and prosperity.”
A M King has completed two major expansions at Cheney Brothers’ Statesville facility, bringing the total square footage to 342,126, according to the release. The projects included additional cold storage and dry warehouse space, a 2,000-square-foot commercial culinary center, cutting-edge penthouse refrigeration system, 37 new dock positions and a new receiving office.
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