Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and S&W Wholesale Foods President and Owner Paul Spalitta announced the company is investing $12 million to develop a new multi-temperature wholesale food distribution center near Hammond, Louisiana. Upon completion, the company will relocate its current operations to the new 100,000 square-foot facility, which will feature 30,000 square feet of office space that includes a state-of-the-art culinary test kitchen and a training facility with stadium-style seating.
S&W Wholesale is a family-owned and operated Louisiana distributor of meats, seafood, produce, dairy, canned goods, cleaning supplies, paper products, plasticware and more. With the new, larger facility, the company will retain 76 employees and create 30 direct new jobs with an average salary of $55,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 45 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 75 new jobs in Louisiana’s Southeast region. An estimated 150 construction jobs will be created at peak activity.
“The continued growth of S&W Wholesale Foods is a testament to the quality of the culinary offerings that are made in Southeast Louisiana,” said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “Food manufacturing is a rapidly expanding industry in our region, and we welcome new facilities that ensure continued success for our local companies. This expansion will help bring their catalog of products into the hands of more customers than ever, and the new jobs will provide valuable career opportunities to Tangipahoa Parish residents.”
“S&W Wholesale has enjoyed a long history of success and growth in Louisiana, and their expansion near Hammond is evidence of the continued economic vibrancy of Tangipahoa Parish,” said Gov. Edwards. “I am proud to celebrate this new chapter in S&W’s history, and I congratulate company leadership and the surrounding community on the new opportunities and economic growth that will follow.”
S&W Wholesale services restaurants, convenience stores, bakeries and multi-unit operations across southeast Louisiana. The company was able to continue supplying restaurants and convenience stores in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, resulting in a 45 percent increase in sales.
“We are very excited to grow our distribution headquarters here in Tangipahoa Parish,” Spalitta said. “Hammond is my hometown and where our company was first started over 40 years ago. We have always felt that the Hammond area is the ideal location for distribution, being at the crossroads of I-12 and I-55. As we move forward into our brand new state-of-the-art facility, we are excited to continue serving our local restaurants and continuing to invest in the Tangipahoa community and the great state of Louisiana.”
S&W Wholesale Foods has expanded operations near Hammond 13 times since 1978, and the current site cannot accommodate its new facility plans. The company will relocate all operations to the new facility to a greenfield site near the Pumpkin Center I-10 exit in unincorporated Tangipahoa Parish.
"We are excited to see another established Tangipahoa Parish business expanding here at home,” Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said. “S&W has been an incredible corporate citizen over many years. The Spalitta family delivers exceptional service to their customers and their growth is a result of being attentive to their customers. Tangipahoa Parish is fortunate to have another homegrown business be so successful."
To secure the project in Tangipahoa and to facilitate the expansion, the state of Louisiana is providing the company with a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive services of LED FastStart, ranked the No. 1 workforce development program in the U.S. for the past 12 years. Additionally, S&W Wholesale will receive a sponsored $430,000 award from the state’s Economic Development Award program. The company is expected to utilize the state’s Enterprise Zone program.
"S&W Wholesale Foods is a multi-generational legacy company started right here in Tangipahoa over 43 years ago,” Executive Director Ginger Cangelosi of Tangipahoa Economic Development said. “We have been honored to lend support to them throughout this project and are excited about their decision to expand and grow in Tangipahoa. The substantial investment they are making to create more jobs and expand their company footprint shows the Spalitta family's continued commitment to our community. We look forward to celebrating their continued success for many years to come."