United Natural Foods moved Racine operations to its Joliet facility. The Joliet site is in early stages of full-case automation. The move aims to improve Midwest service and operating efficiencies. UNFI completed lean daily management rollout at 44 centers by August 1. Lean 2.0 will focus on daily programs and problem-solving. An AI-powered supply chain platform is now live across all centers. Fiscal 2027 will see $300M spent on automation, ERP and tech initiatives. Previous consolidations occurred in North Dakota, Montana, Indiana and Pennsylvania. UNFI opened new centers in Pennsylvania and Florida between 2024 and 2025.
What changed
Operations were split between Racine, Wisconsin, and Joliet, Illinois.
What it unlocks
Serving Midwest customers and suppliers from a single automated facility.
- 44 distribution centers with lean daily management
- $300M capital spending in fiscal 2027
- June 2026 completion of Racine-to-Joliet move
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