By Scott Fitzgerald
Milo Graff Jr., logistics and customer service director of Advance Food Co., opened the blinds of his office window in the in the East Willow distribution center on a sunny winter afternoon recently.
He simply pointed out the general location of some massive expansion projects that will keep Advance in the forefront of the food service market, which is a continuing boon to Enid’s economy.
“Our new construction goes south to Enterprise Boulevard and is estimated at $11 million. This will improve our efficiencies,” Graff said.
Graff was talking of a new freezer expansion project that incorporates 110,000 square feet and is expected to begin service in mid-April.
Walking through the massive structure, Graff talks about what is a premium in the distribution operation — floor space.
“Floor space is prime real estate in a business like this because of the moving of product. Anything we can put up is a home run for us,” he said, pointing at a group of workers assembling a rack support that will hold product in a room with temperatures ranging from 0 to 7 below.
“What’s received here is already frozen,” Graff said.
The new freezer will not require many additional employees — perhaps up to 10 new people.
But a 210,000-square-foot, ready-to-eat plant that will be located to the west of the freezer and expected to break ground in mid-April will employ up to 500 new people and generate a payroll of $17.5 million annually that includes benefits.
It will connect to the freezer unit by way of conveyer belt.
“This will go directly from source to freezer to truck,” Graff said.
The new ready-to-eat plant estimated at a cost of up to $70 million is expected to be completed in the summer of 2007.
Advance has been able to undertake the new projects with passage of a Tax Increment Fi-nancing district by Enid city commissioners in June 2005.
The TIF is a funding mechanism with moneysprovided by increased ad valorem taxes generated by the new business or expansion.
“A big part of the financing has come from the TIF. It’s helped us out,” said David Schram, director of engineering, construction and asset management at Advance.
