Salty snack manufacturer Utz Brands opened a logistics center in Hanover, Pennsylvania, according to a Dec. 4 press release.
The 650,000-square-foot Rice Distribution Center — named after the recently retired grandson of founders Bill and Salie Utz — will handle inventory storage, consolidation and distribution for Utz facilities in the U.S. The center is equipped with a warehouse management system, 73 dock doors and 375 trailer parking spots, according to the press release.
Utz estimates that the facility will handle 2.3 million pallets of product, and 1.1 billion pounds of product, annually.
“The facility expands capacity, enhances efficiency, and streamlines operations for our customers, and we are proud to honor Mike Rice’s extraordinary legacy through it,” CEO Howard Friedman said in a statement.
Utz has honed in on offsetting higher costs through manufacturing and distribution efficiencies, according to the company’s Q3 earnings report.
The snack maker has been cutting plants from its production footprint in a bid to save $135 million over three years. Utz has eight primary manufacturing facilities as of April, compared to 16 in 2021.
To help manage all aspects of its supply chain operations, in 2023 Utz named former Kraft Heinz executive Mitchell Arends as its chief integrated supply chain officer and EVP.
