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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:
Dot Foods
How did that hamburger end up on your plate? When sitting down to eat, it is easy to forget about the distribution process involved behind the scenes. However, the typical supply chain model is not always effective. Buying large quantities of product from multiple distributors is unrealistic and uneconomical for businesses across the United States. This is where foodservice redistribution becomes a great tool for better business practices. Food redistribution is the process of storing large quantities of food in single warehouses to minimize the number
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BY REGINA DONATO
of shipments a business owner must request. According to Joe Little, general manager of the Bear, Delaware Dot Foods distribution center, redistribution “allows a customer to maximize the products available to them with a lower inventory cost or less investment. Business owners can get products on a regular delivery schedule, and it saves a lot of time, energy, and money.” While large corporations can absolutely benefit from this practice, small businesses can especially take advantage. Dot Foods knows exactly what it is like to start small. Originally founded in
1960 by the Tracy family, Dot started as a small dairy company in the Midwest. Still owned by the same family, Dot has since expanded to become the largest foodservice redistribution company in the United States, with 15 locations across North America. Their newest distribution center is located in Bear, Delaware, which opened in March 2020 – just days before the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But why the First State for a new location? The process of choosing a new distribution center is a complicated one, explained Little. He himself has worked at five of Dot’s locations over his career
Se p t e m b er / Oc t o b e r 2021 | DELAWARE BUSINESS
