United Natural Foods (UNFI) is an independent national distributor of natural foods, nutritional supplements, personal care items and organic produce. The company has headquarters in Dayville, Connecticut and began in the 1970s as a small retail food store in Coventry, Rhode Island. Distribution operations are divided into four principal units: United Natural Foods, Eastern Region; United Natural Foods, Western Region; Albert’s Organics; and Select Nutrition.

The Eastern and Western Regions contain 10 distribution centers and provides such goods as natural and organic groceries and frozen and perishable foods. Albert’s Organics distributes organically grown produce and perishable items and delivers to all metropolitan areas, most regions in the U.S., and many areas in Canada. Select Nutrition distributes health and beauty aids, vitamins, and mineral and supplements from centers in California and Pennsylvania.

Last month the company announced plans to relocate its New Oxford, Pennsylvania operations to a new 675,000 sq. ft. distribution facility in York, Pennsylvania. Operations will commence towards the end of 2008 and the facility will be the company’s largest, serving as a hub for customers in the Tri-State area, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. United Natural Foods plans to pursue LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance “green” buildings, for the new facility.

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