A M King and ALDI announced the grand opening of ALDI’s newest regional headquarters and distribution center on January, 31. The facility, located in Loxley, Ala., is a 564,000-sq.-ft. structure that was designed and built by A M King.

The building includes cold storage, dry storage and packaging space. According to the design-build firm, some of its distinctive design elements are geared toward maximizing operational and environmental efficiency and will service more than 100 ALDI stores in southern Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Florida panhandle. ALDI states that it intends to hire more than 200 warehouse associates to support the company’s growth in the Gulf Coast area.

To determine adequate site infrastructure requirements, A M King worked in tandem with ALDI to select a strategic location and necessary property size. Ultimately, the size of the property for ALDI’s new headquarters in a 150-acre site located between Mobile, Ala. and Pensacola, Fla., and 25 miles from Gulf Shores, Ala.

According to A M King, the conception of this facility is a continuation of ALDI’s efforts to maximize the efficiency of its 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-in.-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 2-story office allow for large amounts of natural light to filter into the space. Large, unobstructed areas of glazing at the office allow all employees to have outdoor views.
• Restrooms, locker rooms and maintenance for both ambient temperature, cooler and freezer employees are housed in the central core of the building.

Notable sustainability initiatives in the building are:

• 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 for energy efficiency. 

The scope of work on the Loxley facility includes;

• 216,781 sq. ft. of dry (ambient temperature) storage,
• 22,022 sq. ft. of 55°F storage,
• 65,674 sq. ft. of 34°F cooler storage,
• 12,914 sq. ft. of 30°F meat storage,
• 27,975 sq. ft. of 0°F freezer,
• 4,957 sq. ft. of -10°F ice cream freezer,
• 45,779 sq. ft. of perishable inbound/outbound dock with 38 dock positions,
• 82,304 sq. ft. dry inbound/outbound dock with 49 dock positions
• and 24,679 sq. ft. of Class A office spaces.