~ Food distributor to relocate current operations to new site, create 30 new direct jobs ~
Hammond, LA — Governor John Bel Edwards and S&W Wholesale Foods President and Owner Paul Spalitta announced the company is investing $12 million to develop a new multi-temperature wholesale food distribution center near Hammond, Louisiana. Upon completion, the company will relocate its current operations to the new 100,000 square-foot facility, which will feature 30,000 square feet of office space that includes a state-of-the-art culinary test kitchen and a training facility with stadium-style seating.
S&W Wholesale is a family owned and operated Louisiana distributor of meats, seafood, produce, dairy, canned goods, cleaning supplies, paper products, plasticware and more. With the new, larger facility, the company will retain 76 employees and create 30 direct new jobs with an average salary of $55,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 45 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 75 new jobs in Louisiana’s Southeast region. An estimated 150 construction jobs will be created at peak activity.
“S&W Wholesale has enjoyed a long history of success and growth in Louisiana, and their expansion near Hammond is evidence of the continued economic vibrancy of Tangipahoa Parish,” said Gov. Edwards. “I am proud to celebrate this new chapter in S&W’s history, and I congratulate company leadership and the surrounding community on the new opportunities and economic growth that will follow.”
S&W Wholesale services restaurants, convenience stores, bakeries and multi-unit operations across southeast Louisiana. The company was able to continue supplying restaurants and convenience stores in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, resulting in a 45 percent increase in sales.
“We are very excited to grow our distribution headquarters here in Tangipahoa Parish,” Spalitta said. “Hammond is my hometown and where our company was first started over 40 years ago. We have always felt that the Hammond area is the ideal location for distribution, being at the crossroads of I-12 and I-55. As we move forward into our brand new state-of-the-art facility, we are excited to continue serving our local restaurants and continuing to invest in the Tangipahoa community and the great state of Louisiana.”
S&W Wholesale Foods has expanded operations near Hammond 13 times since 1978, and the current site cannot accommodate its new facility plans. The company will relocate all operations to the new facility to a greenfield site near the Pumpkin Center I-10 exit in unincorporated Tangipahoa Parish.
“We are excited to see another established Tangipahoa Parish business expanding here at home,” Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said. “S&W has been an incredible corporate citizen over many years. The Spalitta family delivers exceptional service to their customers and their growth is a result of being attentive to their customers. Tangipahoa Parish is fortunate to have another homegrown business be so successful.”
To secure the project in Tangipahoa and to facilitate the expansion, the state of Louisiana is providing the company with a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive services of LED FastStart, ranked the No. 1 workforce development program in the U.S. for the past 12 years. Additionally, S&W Wholesale will receive a sponsored $430,000 award from the state’s Economic Development Award program. The company is expected to utilize the state’s Enterprise Zone program.
“S&W Wholesale Foods is a multi-generational legacy company started right here in Tangipahoa over 43 years ago,” Executive Director Ginger Cangelosi of Tangipahoa Economic Development said. “We have been honored to lend support to them throughout this project and are excited about their decision to expand and grow in Tangipahoa. The substantial investment they are making to create more jobs and expand their company footprint shows the Spalitta family’s continued commitment to our community. We look forward to celebrating their continued success for many years to come.”
“The continued growth of S&W Wholesale Foods is a testament to the quality of the culinary offerings that are made in Southeast Louisiana,” said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “Food manufacturing is a rapidly expanding industry in our region, and we welcome new facilities that ensure continued success for our local companies. This expansion will help bring their catalog of products into the hands of more customers than ever, and the new jobs will provide valuable career opportunities to Tangipahoa Parish residents.”
To keep up-to-date with career opportunities at S&W Wholesale Foods in Hammond, click here.
About S&W Wholesale Foods
S&W is Louisiana’s largest independently-owned foodservice supplier, servicing local restaurant and foodservice operators throughout southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Founded in 1978 by Frank and Rosemary Spalitta as “S&W Meats,” their product lines originally consisted of meats such as ham, sausage and ground beef, and their service area included Tangipahoa Parish. In 2006, Frank and Rosemary’s son Paul took over the company and he continues to grow and expand the business. Today S&W carries over 6,000 different products including a vast selection of food and non-food items from fresh produce, meats, breads, specialty cheeses, canned goods, condiments, equipment, smallwares, paper goods, cleaning supplies and more. The company employs 80 workers over two locations, including their headquarters in Hammond as well as a satellite location in Baton Rouge. For more information, visit www.s-wfoods.com.
About LED
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy. LED cultivates jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana, and promotes business opportunity for employers of all sizes. In 2020, LED attracted 58 new economic development projects representing over 11,600 new jobs, 8,600 retained jobs and more than $12.7 billion in new capital investment. LED’s Small Business Services team, in conjunction with the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network, assisted more than 17,500 Louisiana small businesses and entrepreneurs in 2020. For more information, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com.
LED Media Contacts:
Mark Lorando, Communications Director
Mark.Lorando@la.gov
225.342.3437
Ron Thibodeaux, Press Secretary
Ron.Thibodeaux@la.gov
225.342.5145