Kraft Heinz Building $400 Million Distribution Center In DeKalb

DEKALB, IL — Kraft Heinz has announced plans to build a more than $400 million automated distribution center in DeKalb. The facility will be one of the largest of its kind in North America, according to the company.

The 775,000-square-foot center will bring more than 150 jobs to the region. It will have national railway access and be designed to improve supply chain efficiencies, according to the company.

“The DeKalb distribution center is expected to play a critical role in our larger distribution strategy, moving more than 60 percent of Kraft Heinz dry goods in North America through our automated facilities,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, executive vice president and president of North America for Kraft Heinz, in a news release.

The facility’s design includes a 24/7 automated storage and retrieval system, and it is expected to help reduce the company’s operational environmental footprint.

Located in the ChicagoWest Business Center along Interstate 88, the facility will be near other large companies and will benefit from a strong labor pool and enterprise zone incentives, according to Kraft Heinz.

Previously headquartered in Northfield, the food and beverage giant moved to Chicago in 2016.