Food distribution giant opens 1M-square-foot facility in southern Manatee

A major grocery wholesaler has opened a 1 million-square-foot distribution center in southern Manatee County, on the border with Sarasota County. The new facility for UNFI, which stands for United Natural Foods Inc., is 35% bigger than its previous one in the area. 

Th UNFI facility is at 8380 21st St. E. in the SRQ Logistics Center near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The center, and the new facility, is on the north side of the intersection of University Parkway and U.S. 301, which separates Manatee with Sarasota County. Amazon is among the other tenants in the SRQ Logistics Center.

The newly built distribution center will be the first for UNFI to use Knapp’s Pick-it-Easy Robot, which incorporates AI to continuously learn about objects it is gripping and placing, according to a statement. And it will be the second for the company to employ Knapp’s Goods-to-Person automation, which transports items from the warehouse to employees at fixed workstations, the company adds. Knapp is a technology company that provides warehouse logistics solutions.

The facility, overall, will use automation to improve order accuracy, inventory management and efficiency while reducing the cost of fulfillment, according to a statement. Company officials project the facility will also increase efficiency and improve employee satisfaction.

More than 400 employees are working at the facility after transitioning from the previous distribution center on McIntosh Road in Sarasota County. That facility spanned 743,000 square feet of leased space.

The new complex includes a gym, game area, recreation space, break areas with floor-to-ceiling windows and a driver’s lounge, according to the statement.

“Opening Sarasota North is a significant investment as we continue to optimize our distribution network for the future,” UNFI Distribution President Jeff Sault says in the statement. “By combining advanced automation with a strong focus on the associate experience, we’re not only improving how we serve customers and suppliers — we’re creating a better place to work and a stronger foundation for long-term growth.”

Providence, Rhode Island-based UNFI, which posted $31 billion in revenue last year, provides healthier food options to more than 30,000 retailers around the United States. It operates over 50 distribution centers nationwide, including three iin Florida. In addition to Sarasota, the company has locations in Pompano Beach and Quincy.

The new Sarasota area distribution center broke ground in August 2023. While a specific cost for the Sarasota area project was not disclosed, UNFI spent $215 million companywide on construction in 2024 and $186 million on construction in 2023, according to its annual report.