Diaz Foods opens state-of-the-art distribution center in Virginia

Diaz Foods, one of the larger distributors of Hispanic food products in the United States, announced the opening of its newest state-of-the-art distribution center, which was converted from a USDA-approved food facility. The new center is located in Manassas, VA, just outside the metro Washington, DC, area.

With almost 40,000 square feet of refrigerated and freezer space and 60,000 of dry space, the Virginia distribution center will maintain a product portfolio that includes fresh produce, frozen seafood, dairy, meats and over 4,000 dry grocery items sourced from all over the world.

“The new Virginia distribution center offers the perfect complement to our distribution goals of providing superior service to both foodservice and retail customers while simultaneously increasing Diaz Foods’ presence in the Mid-Atlantic and New England markets,” Rene M. Diaz, president and chief executive officer, said in a press release.

In its first year alone, the new center is expected to handle over $50 million in sales volume. The Virginia distribution center is the second phase in a four-part plan that began with Diaz Foods’ 2014 acquisition of the New Jersey based company, La Cena Fine Foods Ltd. The new distribution center will extend access to Diaz Foods’ 6,000-item product portfolio to the New England area, as well as expand the "La Cena" brand into the Southeast.

With 100,000 square feet of warehouse space and 22 dock doors, the addition to the Diaz distribution network marks a strategic transition away from a centralized distribution model. In the multi-distribution center model, all business functions — including purchasing and sales strategies — will be centralized in the corporate headquarters in Atlanta. The company said this model should allow efficient distribution of the best specialty products to customers across more than 7,000 distribution points.