Press release:
Buffalo-based Sonwil Distribution is in preliminary discussions with the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) about construction of a regional multi-temperature warehouse facility in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park (Ag-Park) in the Town of Batavia.
The multi-temperature warehouse would provide storage capacity for food and beverage manufacturing and processing companies currently residing in the agri-business park as well as similar companies in the Buffalo and Rochester metro regions.
Sonwil Distribution Center is a leading North American logistics solutions provider, and in September 2019 was named one of Food Logistics magazine’s “Top Third-Party Logistics (3PL) and Cold Storage Providers” a criteria of which is “whose products and services are critical for companies in the global food and beverage supply chain."
“Genesee County has experienced tremendous growth in the food manufacturing and food processing sectors of the regional economy as evidenced by the increasing production and output of companies in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park,” said Peter Wilson, president and CEO of Sonwil Distribution Center.
“We are confident that the construction of a multi-temperature warehouse facility would lead to even greater success of this sector as well as generate significant economic impact at a critical time.”
The Ag-Park and surrounding properties have grown to over 1 million-square-feet of dairy products manufacturing operations and 700 food and beverage industry jobs through projects by O-AT-KA Milk Products, HP Hood, and the Upstate Niagara Cooperative. Announced land sales have brought the 250-acre Ag-Park substantially closer to full occupancy.
“Sonwil has been discussing with us how the multi-temperature warehouse could be constructed in stages to support the food and beverage industry cluster at the Ag-Park and in our region,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde. “With commitments from companies in the region, Sonwil can move forward with their plans for the construction of a multi-temperature warehouse.”
The project being considered enhances the GCEDC’s strategic focus on strengthening Genesee County’s growing food and beverage industry sector through shovel-ready sites. The Ag-Park and the 75-acre Le Roy Food & Tech Park have been specifically designed and constructed to service these industry sectors.
Additionally, the STAMP South Campus provides 400 acres with capacity for growing the food and beverage industry at the 1,250-acre Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). The STAMP South Campus includes the availability of 20-acre, 65-acre and 70-acre shovel-ready parcels with water, electric, and sewer infrastructure being made accessible for development.
“With the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park approaching full occupancy we are putting a laser sharp development and marketing focus on our growing food and beverage, and warehousing and distribution sectors,” Hyde continued. “We certainly do not want to be turning industries away because of the success at the Ag-Park, and replicating the success experienced there now at STAMP South and the Le Roy Food & Tech Park provides us with a smart economic development growth strategy now and into the future.”
