Baldor Specialty Foods continues to grow and expand in every possible direction. The company is currently under expansion construction at its Bronx, NY, headquarters on the Hunts Point Terminal Market. When completed the facility will have 278,000 square feet of refrigerated warehouse space on 25 acres.TJ Murphy, chief executive officer, and Michael Muzyk, president, of Baldor Specialty Foods.

“I believe we’ll be the second largest facility next to the New York Yankee Stadium that is not in the medical profession,” Michael Muzyk, company president, told The Produce News.

He explained that negotiations with the City of New York started years before the untimely death of Kevin Murphy, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, in January 2013. Murphy’s son, TJ Murphy, now serves as the chief executive officer.

“When I proposed this expansion that many years ago, and suggested that we do our own contracting, Kevin said, ‘Spike [his nickname for Muzyk], I think you’re crazy,’” Muzyk reflected. “But before he passed away, he said ‘Boy, were you right to start then.’ Glaciers melt faster than the City sometimes moves.”

The expansion is being done in two stages, with one-third currently under way. When it’s completed the existing warehouse will be moved into the new section. That will allow for major maintenance that has not been possible because it is continually utilized. The second phase of the remaining two-thirds of the expansion will then begin.

“What separates Baldor from its competitors is not just the ability to anticipate what’s coming ahead but also the ability to look around the corner,” said Muzyk.

The majority of Baldor’s customer base has been and continues to be foodservice operators, but its retail end is also now growing. Its “Urban Roots” label is increasing in popularity, and Muzyk said the company is now expanding it into ShopRite stores.

“Our ‘Urban Roots’ label is on not only packaged fruits and vegetables, but also on dairy and deli products,” he noted. “And it’s especially strong on locally produced items.”

New York City also has very strong home delivery grocery services, which Baldor has capitalized on.

“We make the meals and bring them to the home delivery companies, who then package them in their own branded boxes,” Muzyk explained. “We’re partnering with the largest home delivery company in New York City. The association has made us a better distributor in that we were challenged to shorten our delivery window to keep foods fresher. This is an area of potentially great future growth. When you’re a supply chain partner you’re better able to collaborate on how to drive business in ways that benefit everyone without losing integrity.”

Baldor opened a facility in Boston three years ago and about two years ago it opened another in Washington, D.C. Combined, they provide the company with a solid distribution footprint from Maine to Virginia. The company has already outgrown its Boston facility and is looking for a larger building. It owns the D.C. facility, which it will make major improvements to in the future.

But it’s also expanding even further. Last year it entered into an agreement with a distributor in Miami, which began with half a load of product being delivered by Baldor each week.

“We are now delivering two full trailer loads to it weekly,” said Muzyk. “And we’re backhauling product in every trailer with product from the South. It has developed into a good solid business that we expect will evolve more going forward.”