HATFIELD — A food distribution center that opened in Connecticut last September to serve one of the largest supply chains on the East Coast, including about 450 Stop & Shop supermarkets, could affect C&S Wholesale Grocers operations in the region.

But how C&S is being impacted by the 1 million-square-foot center at 1339 Tolland Turnpike in Manchester for the ADUSA Supply Chain, which supports the grocery brands of Ahold Delhaize USA such as Hannaford and Food Lion, in addition to Stop & Shop, is uncertain. C&S had been a supplier for Stop & Shop before the opening of the center in Connecticut.

ADUSA Supply Chain announced the new distribution center in December 2019 as part of a three-year process to get to its own fully integrated self-distribution model.

“As we communicated at the outset of the transformation, ADUSA companies will continue to partner with C&S Wholesale Grocers to provide supply chain services as we transition to an integrated, self-distribution network,” Erin DeWaters, spokeswoman for ADUSA Distribution, wrote in an email.

Whether this could mean any imminent changes at the Hatfield warehouses, located at 142 Elm St. and 95 North Hatfield Road, where more than 1,000 people are employed, is unknown.

Lauren La Bruno, a vice president at C&S, said in an email that it is a long-standing practice for the company to not comment on questions concerning structure changes.

La Bruno wrote that C&S continuously looks for ways to create value for customers and accelerate the delivery of best-in-class services.

“We remain committed to satisfying our customers’ needs to the fullest and are dedicated to taking the necessary actions to achieve our overall strategic priorities that drive our long-term growth,” La Bruno wrote.

Diana Szynal, chairwoman of Hatfield’s Select Board, said she has not heard of any changes coming at the C&S locations in town.

Similarly, Town Administrator Marlene Michonski said nothing has arrived at Town Hall from the company.

“My office has not received any communication directly from C&S to date,” Michonski said.

Last fall though, C&S announced the layoffs of 175 workers at its Suffield, Connecticut warehouse due to the loss of a major customer. Like similar layoffs at a C&S facility in New York state, the changes were attributed to the ongoing transformation by Stop & Shop’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize.

C&S Wholesale Grocers was founded in 1918 in Worcester by Israel Cohen and Abraham Siegel and has warehouses in several locations, including Brattleboro, Vermont, Keene, New Hampshire and Windsor Locks, Connecticut, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with over 100,000 different products, according to its website.

At the new Manchester site, 88 million cases of nonperishable grocery products each year will be received, selected and transported for Stop & Shop stores and e-commerce centers.

Chris Lewis, president of ADUSA Supply Chain, called the opening an important milestone.

“Not only is Manchester an important part of rapid network expansion, it’s also well equipped with technology solutions that will boost efficiency and ultimately result in the faster delivery of fresher products for consumers no matter how they choose to shop,” Lewis said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.]]>