FreshDirect officially broke ground on their new South Bronx facility on Monday, December 22, 2014. Pictured at the groundbreaking are (l to r) Assembly Member Marcos Crespo, State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz, Freshdirect founder and CEO Jason Ackerman, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz and Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation President Marlene Cintron.
Leading New York-based online fresh food grocer to begin construction on new 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility at the Harlem River Yard
Relocation will create local jobs and opportunities for employee growth; increased capacity needed to meet growing customer demand for a greater selection of high-quality, fresh food
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 22, 2014 – FreshDirect, a leading online fresh food grocer, is excited to announce the groundbreaking on its new South Bronx headquarters today. The 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility at the Harlem River Yard will help create more local jobs, foster employee growth opportunities, and provide additional capacity to allow the company to offer a greater selection of high-quality, fresh food to customers. The new facility is slated to be completed in late 2016.
“New York is in our DNA and we are excited about our future in the Bronx,” said Jason Ackerman, FreshDirect’s Co-Founder and CEO. “I am grateful for the widespread support we have received for our relocation and am looking forward to continuing our record of creating local jobs and strengthening our local community. I am also appreciative of our loyal customers who have made FreshDirect a leading online provider of fresh, high-quality foods. This is an important milestone for our company, allowing us to process orders more efficiently, expand our fresh food options, and make online grocery shopping more convenient for our customers.”
Founded in 2002, FreshDirect is a leading food and technology business serving customers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The company revolutionized the fresh food supply chain, and pioneered the use of technology to make online grocery shopping seamless, offering fresh, high-quality food that is sourced direct from the farm.
Due to increasing demand for fresh, organic options, as well as food solutions to make cooking at home healthier and easier, FreshDirect’s business is thriving. The company has outgrown its current headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, and has worked with city and state leadership and Bronx elected officials on a relocation plan.
The project will house FreshDirect’s corporate headquarters and food manufacturing and distribution facility. It will surpass energy code requirements and utilize energy-efficient lighting, as well as high-efficiency refrigeration and air conditioning. The site will have electric charging stations for its fleet, as well as indoor/outdoor gardens for employees to enjoy. The facility will also feature state-of-the-art technology to process fresh-from-the-farm food orders, as well as increased in-house manufacturing facilities such as kitchens and bakeries.
“This project represents new jobs, and new development, and is a key component of our ‘New Bronx’ agenda,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “FreshDirect has cleared every hurdle placed in its way, and today’s groundbreaking puts the company on the fast track to their future Bronx relocation. I’m proud to support FreshDirect, and I look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with the company and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation to put even more Bronx residents to work.”
FreshDirect currently employs nearly 3,000 workers, approximately 600 of whom live in the Bronx. The company has committed to hiring an additional 1,000 employees and many of those positions will be filled by Bronx residents.