Loxley, AL – Integrated Design-Build firm A M King and ALDI, global grocery retailer, celebrated the grand opening of ALDI’s newest regional headquarters and distribution center on January 31. A M King provided property consulting for ALDI U.S. and designed and built the 564,000-sf structure, which includes distinctive design elements geared towards maximizing operational and environmental efficiency. The facility, located in Loxley, AL, will service more than 100 stores in southern Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Florida panhandle—marking the company’s presence in 38 states. ALDI is planning to hire more than 200 warehouse associates to support the company’s growth in the Gulf Coast area.
“ALDI and A M King have a long and successful relationship,” explains A M King Vice President Dan Crist. “A M King’s full property consulting services were instrumental to ALDI as the company was contemplating a Gulf Coast expansion. We then moved forward with development of a spacious and multifaceted facility, incorporating groundbreaking design elements that will serve as a blueprint for future projects with ALDI.”
“A M King has been a valued partner throughout the design and construction of our newest regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, AL,” said Dan Gavin, Vice President of Real Estate at ALDI U.S. “A M King was key in the development of this state-of-the-art facility, and we’re thrilled with the integration of dynamic design elements aimed at maximizing operational efficiency and sustainability.”
A M King worked in tandem with ALDI to determine adequate site infrastructure requirements. The property needed to be large enough, buildable and strategically located. Ultimately, A M King assisted ALDI in acquiring a 150-acre site just north of Interstate 10, conveniently located between Mobile, AL. and Pensacola, FL. and 25 miles from Gulf Shores, AL.
The conception of this facility is a continuation of the retailer’s efforts to maximize the efficiency of their operations through facility design. Several new elements have been incorporated into the Loxley facility for efficiency, including:
- Use of insulated metal panels (IMP) in lieu of concrete tilt or precast concrete exterior panels. The warehouse is fully designed with 6” thick IMP, creating a thermally tight and efficient building envelope.
- Optimum racking organization, determined by product analysis from storage and flow perspectives.
- First ALDI distribution center to utilize cross-docking services.
- Floor-to-ceiling curtain wall around two sides of the two-story office permits large amounts of natural light to filter into the space. Large, unobstructed areas of glazing at the office allows all employees to have outdoor views.
- Restrooms, locker rooms and maintenance for both ambient temperature and cooler and freezer employees are housed in the central core of the building.
Notable sustainability initiatives in the building include:
- A full solar panel array over the dry warehouse, which sends surplus energy back into the grid.
- Drive-in style dock doors in the perishable docks provide a much better seal for a thermally tight building.
- Clerestory windows surround the dry portion of the warehouse, allowing natural light to help offset the lighting needs within the area.
- Full LED lighting throughout the entire building and site improve energy efficiency.
The scope of work on the Loxley facility included 216,781 sf of Dry (Ambient Temperature) Storage; 22,022 sf of 55-degree Storage; 65,674 sf of 34-degree Cooler Storage; 12,914 sf of 30-degree Meat Storage; 27,975 sf of 0-degree Freezer; 4,957 sf of -10-degree Ice Cream Freezer; 45,779 sf of Perishable Inbound/Outbound Dock with 38 dock positions; 82,304 sf Dry Inbound/Outbound Dock with 49 dock positions; and 24,679 sf of Class A office spaces.
