Dot Foods Reports Yearly Double-Digit Growth in Retail Program for a Decade
MT. STERLING, ILL. – Dot Foods, Inc., a North American food industry consolidator, continues to expand its retail supply chain business after more than 20 years in the channel. The company has expanded the retail team and is also adding a fully automated, 20,000-pallet frozen warehouse at the company’s Mt. Sterling, Ill., headquarters. Dot plans to accelerate the double-digit growth it has experienced in this segment of its business for the past decade.
Dot partners with retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers across the U.S. and Canada to streamline their supply chain with an extensive array of capabilities, including a nationwide distribution system offering more than 125,000 products from more than 1,000 manufacturers in 14 multi-temperature North America distribution centers spanning more than 4.7 million square feet.
“A lot of companies know us for foodservice, but Dot has been in retail for 20 years and our retail partners enjoy the same benefits that our foodservice customers do,” said Tim Duggan, Dot’s senior director of retail channels. “We offer a turnkey consolidation solution to ease the challenges of less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. We believe it’s this focus on solutions to today’s logistical challenges that has led to some aggressive recent growth in our retail supply chain business.”
“We offer unique inbound efficiencies because Dot carries all temperatures of products on our own fully-staffed fleet,” Duggan continued. “Our 14 distribution centers (12 U.S. and two in Canada) are strategically located across the U.S. and Canada, and we’ll be bringing our thirteenth U.S. facility online at the end of this year. Our elite drivers and warehouse teams that operate around the clock help us achieve two- to four-day lead times across the country.”
In addition to opening a new distribution center in Tennessee and a larger distribution center in Ingersoll, Canada, later this year, Dot will also continue ramping up volume inside the fully automated frozen warehouse which opened at Dot’s Mt. Sterling, Illinois headquarters in December 2022. The facility has 20,000 slots, which represents a 40 percent expansion of frozen capacity at Dot’s HQ. Dot is planning to break ground this year on an expansion of its cooler and fourth temperature warehouses at Mt. Sterling, as well.
“Our industry is facing a nationwide shortage of frozen warehouse space and growing consumer demand for frozen foods,” said Duggan. “This facility is the first frozen warehouse environment in North America to use this configuration of automated components, including one system to manage inventory and perform automated pick and put away of full pallets and a second system to pick strategic layers of product to build customer orders.” The addition of the fully automated frozen warehouse in Mt. Sterling brings Dot’s system-wide frozen capacity to 120,000 slots.
For manufacturers, small shipments make up a large percentage of deliveries, adding costs and inefficiencies. Consolidating those less-than-truckload orders through Dot means lower administration and transportation costs. Dot also makes manufacturers’ products available in one-case minimums with short lead times, putting manufacturers on the fast track to growth. And while Dot manages the LTL shipping, the manufacturer continues to manage all-important customer relationships, with customers receiving the same pricing and support.
Dot has expanded its team to include a dedicated group of demand planners and improved service levels for customers. And Dot recently promoted the former executive vice president of its retail program to president of the company. “Our business in the retail supply chain has grown to be a big part of what we do today, and will be even more in the future,” said George Eversman, Dot Foods' new president. “Dot has a nationwide distribution system and the existing infrastructure to efficiently help our manufacturer partners and retail customers eliminate LTL costs and improve service.”
Healthy frozen foods provider Real Good Foods recently began using Dot’s consignment program to handle some of its shipments into Walmart.
“In just the first eight weeks, we already saw our first week where all of our Dot Foods’ shipments exceeded on time and in full goals,” said Jack White, SVP Sales of Real Good Foods. “Real Good Food is very pleased to be at 100% OTIF (on time in full). It’s clear that Dot Foods is the right partner for Real Good Foods.”
For a video overview of Dot’s retail supply chain business, click here.
About Dot Foods and Dot Transportation
Dot Foods, Inc. carries 125,000 products from 1,020 food industry manufacturers making it the largest food industry consolidator in North America. Through Dot Transportation, Inc., an affiliate of Dot Foods, the company distributes retail, convenience, foodservice, and vending products to wholesalers and distributors in all 50 states and more than 55 countries. Dot Foods operates 12 U. S. distribution centers, which are located in Bullhead City, Arizona; Modesto, California; Bear, Delaware; Vidalia, Georgia; Burley, Idaho; Mt. Sterling, Illinois; University Park, Illinois; Cambridge City, Indiana; Williamsport, Maryland; Liverpool, New York; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Dyersburg, Tennessee. Dot’s 13th U.S. location is currently under construction in Manchester, Tennessee. Dot Foods’ Canadian operations are located in Toronto, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. A new Dot Foods Canada distribution will open in Ingersoll, Ontario, in 2023. For information, visit DotFoods.com.
Dot Foods and Dot Transportation are both looking to fill several positions for full and part-time drivers and warehouse personnel at all U.S. locations. To learn more about careers at Dot Foods visit Careers.DotFoods.com and follow @DotFoodsCareers. For more on opportunities available with Dot Transportation, visit DriveForDTI.com.
