LANCASTER, PA–High Construction was selected as general contractor to build a $21 million facility for Four Seasons Produce that will consolidate the company's five local facilities into one. Construction will commence this month on the 262,000-square-foot facility at 500 Wabash Road in East Cocalico Township, Denver, Pa.

The new facility will include 158,000-square-feet of warehouse space, 35,000-square-feet of production space; 49,000-square-feet of office space; and a 20,000-square-foot truck garage. The facility was strategically designed to allow for future additions totaling 190,000-square-feet.

"We have been planning this project for several years now. It is exciting that our dream is close to becoming a reality. Having all of our operations under one roof will greatly enhance our efficiency. The new facility will also be an even more pleasant place for our associates to work. We have dedicated associates, and we're excited to be able to enhance the warehouse and offices where they do their work," says David Hollinger, chairman and owner of Four Seasons Produce.

The main entrance and office space will feature 370 lineal feet of glass panels and a 1,000-square-foot skylight to brighten the interior. Inside are curved walls and 24-foot-high ceilings. Another new feature for employees is the cafeteria which will include a soup and salad bar, a juice bar, booths and tables. A racquetball court and a fitness room, as well as locker rooms with showers, are among other workplace amenities.

The warehouse will accommodate a high-cube storage design that enables the company to optimize space by stacking pallets four levels high. Similar to the company's current facilities, the new warehouse will include humidity-controlled and temperature-controlled storage rooms where each product is stored in the climate best-suited for that commodity.

In addition to enhancing operations and employee morale, customers will benefit from the new facility as well. “At Four Seasons Produce, we are dedicated to providing consumers with the highest quality produce available anywhere in the world. We stand by that guarantee. This new warehouse helps us better achieve our mission, because it helps us reduce the number of times we handle the produce between when it leaves the farm and when it reaches the consumer," says Ron Carkoski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Produce.

The new facility will centralize and enhance product receiving and shipping. All goods will enter and exit from one site location. A rail line that extends directly to the warehouse will facilitate deliveries to the site. Four Seasons Produce will install a traffic light at the intersection of Wabash Road and Route 272. The company will widen Wabash Road and add a left-turn lane. It also will add a right-turn lane on Route 272 heading south and a left-turn lane on route 272 heading north.

Four Seasons Produce Inc. is a major produce distributor, importer, broker, and provider of logistical services reaching both domestic and international markets. The company employs 500 people in Denver, Pa., and 50 people at its Four Seasons Trading Co. in Texas. The business was founded in Denver, Pa., in 1976. For more information about Four Seasons Produce, contact Ron Carkoski, 717-336-3616, extension 6.

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