Baldor Specialty Foods Plans Distribution Center Expansion

Baldor Specialty Foods, a fresh produce and specialty food distributor, plans to expand its facility by 100,000 square feet at Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx, according to Area Development magazine.

The Hunts Point Food Distribution Center is one of the largest in the world and includes the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market, the Hunts Point Cooperative Meat Market and New Fulton Fish Market. The nearly $20 million expansion, funded by Baldor, will create 350 new jobs in addition to 400 jobs the company created since moving to the center in 2007.

According to the New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC), the expansion will allow Baldor to grow its fresh cuts manufacturing operation and increase its distribution to customers across New York and the metropolitan region, including retail food stores, restaurants, hotels, corporate kitchens, nursing homes, hospitals and schools. 

The project will also serve to promote regional food distribution, adding capacity to Baldor’s current operation that already serves more than 50 local farms and partners by distributing 40,000 cases of local product into the regional food system each week during peak season. 

“This expansion solidifies our Bronx location as the headquarters of Baldor Specialty Foods,” said TJ Murphy, owner and CEO. “We are proud to make this investment in the Bronx, to strengthen our commitment to Hunts Point, and to continue to be a strong supporter of the area’s overall economic development.”

Currently, Baldor occupies a 193,000-square-foot warehouse distribution facility with more than 1,000 employees on 13 acres in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, which it leases from the city. The lease amendment will allow Baldor to expand its facility and relocate its parking spaces to the adjacent Halleck Industrial Development site. 

“Baldor’s expansion represents an incredible opportunity here for our rapidly expanding restaurant and culinary sector to link up with food manufacturing right in the Bronx,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. “We are thrilled to support it, and are making strategic investments that will support the continued growth of Hunts Point.” 

“Hunts Point is home to one of the largest food distribution centers in the world, and Baldor Specialty Foods’ significant investment and expansion will create hundreds of more quality, local jobs for the people of the Bronx,” said Maria Torres-Springer, NYCEDC president. “Baldor and the rest of the Hunts Point markets are a hub for food distribution and a center for good jobs, enhancing New York City’s connections to regional food networks and bringing fresh produce to dinner tables across all five boroughs.”