ROUNDY'S REPLACES DC DESTROYED BY FIRE

PATRICK SCIACCA

PEWAUKEE, Wis. -- Less than a year after a fire destroyed its Evansville, Ind., perishables distribution center, Roundy's here has built a new and improved Evansville facility.

The new 125,000-square-foot facility, currently operating on a limited basis, will replace the warehouse that was destroyed by a fire on Feb. 26, 1998.

The new facility is "state of the art in terms of design for utilization of computerized selection techniques," said David Busch, corporate vice president of administration for Roundy's. He did not provide a time frame for when the DC would be fully operational.

Busch said that radio-frequency technology that was not available at the previous distribution center will be utilized for product selection and put-aways in the new warehouse.

He added that the increased size of the new facility -- about 20% larger than its predecessor -- will allow the wholesaler to increase product selection by about 10%.

Other technology upgrades include a computerized refrigeration system that will maintain and control temperature zones in the facility.

The new distribution center will hold 5,000 different products in the frozen food, dairy, bakery, deli, ice cream, and fresh and processed meats categories. It will service 200 customers in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.

"This marks the beginning of a new era of distribution services for Roundy's, and at the same time a restatement of our commitment to the loyal customers served by our new facility here in Evansville and by its sister grocery facility located in Eldorado, Ill.," said Jerry Lestina, president and chief executive officer of Roundy's, in a statement.