Gray and MDI Partner on Distribution Facility Expansion

MDI and its parent company, Alex Lee, Inc., were founded in Hickory and maintain their current headquarters there. The company selected Gray to design and build a 200,000 s.f. expansion to the existing distribution facility.

This new portion of the facility will include dry storage space as well as state-of-the-art AS/RS as MDI looks to further improve operations.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work on this impactful project with a growing partner,” says Brett Goode, senior vice president of Gray’s South Atlantic office in Charlotte, NC. “We know this is a project that will make a direct impact on the community and local economy, and we feel privileged to play a role in that process.”

This project is expected to add 111 jobs in Hickory, NC, and projections estimate the local area will see an additional impact of more than $5.7 million each year from the new payroll.

“We are excited to partner with Gray, a family-owned engineering, design, and construction firm with a large local presence in the Charlotte region. Gray has expertise in the automated grocery construction field, making them a great partner,” says Sean O’Keefe, director of supply chain engineering at MDI.

MDI provides food and non-food grocery items to more than 600 retail stores across the United States and other locations. The company also provides additional retail support to its customers, including retail automation services, advertising and placement, and retail price hosting, among other services.

About Gray

Gray is a fully integrated, international service provider deeply rooted in engineering, design, construction, and smart manufacturing services. Consistently ranked among the top industrial contractors in the U.S., we focus on the following markets for domestic and international customers: Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Automotive, Distribution, Mission Critical, and Commercial.

Founded in 1960, Gray has grown to encompass a complementary family of brands designed to augment and enhance each other’s specialized capabilities without gaps or redundancies. Our robust offering—which includes strategy, operational improvements, construction, extensive engineering, automation & controls, and equipment manufacturing—enables us to create one-of-a-kind solutions at the highest levels of customization, delivering unmatched precision and partnership to some of the world’s most sophisticated organizations.

For more information on Gray, visit gray.com and follow us @Gray.

About Merchants Distributors LLC

Founded in 1931, Merchants Distributors (MDI) is a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, NC. MDI supplies over 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items in NC, SC, GA, TN, VA, AL, WV, OH, FL, PA, MD, and KY. MDI also exports to over 20 countries. Merchants Distributors, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alex Lee, Inc. The company has a strong customer focus and offers a variety of services to help their customers succeed.

To learn more, please visit merchantsdistributors.com.