Sysco Breaks Ground on Distribution Facility in Arizona
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Arizona state and local officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of Sysco Corp.’s future $102 million distribution center in Mesa that will create hundreds of jobs and enable warehouse workers to earn commercial driver licenses.
The new Sysco Arizona East facility will cover 353,600 square feet in Mesa, some 20 miles east of Phoenix.
“Arizona’s East Valley is proud to welcome Sysco to their new home,” State Rep. Neal Carter, said Oct. 12. “For generations, our East Valley has played a vital role in feeding Arizona. I am grateful to see this tradition continue with the addition of Sysco Arizona East.”
Sysco ranks No. 3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America. The company ranks No. 1 on the TT food service carriers list.
With $53 billion in annual sales, Sysco is a top global food service distribution company. The company, according to its 2023 annual report, estimates it serves 17% of the $350 billion annual U.S. food service market.
“Sysco’s Arizona East site will help meet the demands of the growing local market and bring excellent, long-term career opportunities to the Mesa community,” said Matt Jacobson, desert region president. “We look forward to bringing Sysco’s expertise and service to thousands of new customers in the market, including restaurants, health care, education, and travel and leisure locations throughout Arizona.”
Construction is scheduled to start this fall to prepare the distribution center to become operational by the spring of 2025.
Sysco Arizona East will create 257 new jobs paying “industry-leading wages” with paid time off, comprehensive health care and retirement benefits.
Drivers at the new distribution center will be able to earn a salary between $81,000 and $109,000 annually, noted the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. The average annual salary at Sysco Arizona East will be $68,000 per year, nearly double Arizona’s per capita median income. The pay range for warehouse selectors at the facility will range from $68,000 to $87,000 yearly.
Chris Camacho, the council’s president and CEO, called Sysco’s new Mesa facility “a multifaceted investment in the community, offering new opportunities with career path development. We applaud their forward-thinking dedication to building talent and congratulate them on the groundbreaking for this massive new facility.”
Mesa Mayor John Giles welcomed Sysco to its new facility. “Our city has a talented workforce that will meet the needs for Sysco Arizona East, and I appreciate their commitment to offering job training and workforce development opportunities for Mesa and the East Valley.”
Among those opportunities is the company’s driver training Operations Academy, in which eligible warehouse employees can receive company-sponsored training to earn a CDL and grow their career.
Sysco’s annual report stated that its CDL training program continues to help improve its supply chain efficiency, while investing in employee retention and training mainly for transportation and warehouse colleagues.
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“These efficiency efforts are expected to continue to improve in fiscal 2024,” it stated. “Our Sysco Driver Academy and industry-leading training programs are contributing to improved retention and productivity, and we expect to see this trend improve as the percentage of drivers and warehouse colleagues trained from within Sysco continues to grow.
Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, expressed gratitude for the investment and job creation in the state. “Sysco’s new Mesa facility is an exciting milestone for the company and bolsters Arizona’s economic growth,” she added.
