DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE - Knoxville Chamber of Commerce

B U S I N E S S
P O R T F O L I O
Image courtesy of SYSCO Corporation
A rendering of the SYSCO Corporation building. SYSCO will employ 300 people at their Knoxville location.
A New Site for SYSCO
F o o d - S e r v i c e G i a n t S t i r s T h i n g s U p W i t h a S t at e - o f - t h e - A r t D i s t r i b u t i o n C e n t e r
SYSCO Corporation, the largest food-service
marketer and distributor in North America,
announced plans in 2006 to build a 300,000-
square-foot facility in Knoxville. The Houstonbased
company will invest $34.2 million in
the project and expects to open its new location in 2008,
employing 300 people at an average pay and benefits
total of approximately $56,000 per year.
“Having a Fortune 100 company plant its flag in the
heart of a revitalizing corridor is huge for Knoxville,”
says Doug Lawyer, director of economic development
for the Knoxville Chamber.
This project is a result of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge
Innovation Valley economic development efforts,
which focuses on the recruitment of new companies
to the region while also addressing retention and
expansion of existing businesses and promoting the
startup of new companies.
“While recruitment of new companies often
gets the most buzz, all are equally important in a
comprehensive economic development strategy,”
says Lawyer.
To serve its 400,000 customers, SYSCO currently
owns and operates 170 facilities across the United
States and Canada. The new development will include
refrigerated, frozen and dry warehouse space to
accommodate business interests in east Tennessee, north
Georgia, western North Carolina and western Virginia.
“The company chose Knoxville for two reasons,”
says Lawyer. “First, we are close to many of its existing
customers that were served by distribution centers threeplus
hours away and, second, this region as growing
rapidly, which made it a natural fit for its next facility. ■
SYSCO anticipates opening in Knoxville in 2008.
Knoxville Chamber