Foodservice, Janitorial Supplier to Expand
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Indianapolis-based Acorn Distributors Inc. has announced plans to relocate the company’s corporate headquarters to Brownsburg. The janitorial and foodservice distributor says it needed to grow its warehouse facility but was unable to find suitable land near its current location on the west side of Indianapolis. The company says the new facility will be 125,000-square feet and will be taller than its existing facility, allowing Acorn to more effectively use its vertical space.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Acorn Distributors Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Rosenberg said the company needs additional space to keep up with demand.
“We are looking forward to utilizing the new space to continue to grow our business and serve our many valued customers in new and even more efficient ways,” said Rosenberg. “We looked for an existing distribution center, and they’re just not out there. There is a big demand for distribution centers today.”
Acorn Distributors is a supplier of janitorial materials, such as paper products and cleaners. It also serves the foodservice industry, offering a variety of food delivery items such as cutlery, glassware, disposable containers and other kitchenware for restaurants.
Rosenberg says the company has felt the impact of the supply chain disruption.
“When COVID first hit, the janitorial side of our industry was where most of the supply chain challenges [existed] for us… the demand with the disinfectants and the sanitizers,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg says the janitorial industry has stabilized and it is able to source products for Acorn’s customers. However, she says the food service of the business continues to deal with disruptions.
“Nobody could forecast what was going to happen during COVID. And when the world opened up, it opened up so quickly. Nobody was prepared for that. We cannot keep up with the demand right now,” said Rosenberg.
She says Acorn is now sourcing material from more manufacturers than ever before.
The company says it plans to break ground this spring and move into the facility in 2023. In addition to its new facility, Rosenberg says the developer is also planning to construct a speculative building next door.
In addition to its Indiana location, Acorn also operates a facility in Columbus, Ohio. The company distributes products throughout Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, northern Kentucky and southern Michigan.
Founded in 1976, Acorn Distributors is a family-owned and certified Women’s Business Enterprise. The company has a staff of 77 in Indiana and is looking to hire more workers because of the new construction. It acquired Cottingham Paper of Columbus, Ohio in 2007 where it currently employs 43 workers.