Freshly, the leading provider of fresh prepared meals in the country, announced Monday it will open a 234,000-square-foot assembly and distribution center in East Greenwich, bringing 340 jobs to Gloucester County.
Freshly officials said the facility, the company’s second in New Jersey, is scheduled to be operational in February 2022.
The facility will be the company’s largest distribution center, equipped to assemble and ship 1.6 million meals per week at peak capacity. Freshly officials said the new facility will help Freshly meet growing customer demand and reduce the order-to-delivery cycle time to consumers.
Freshly will continue to operate its Linden facility, which employs 70 people. Even though the company will have two distribution centers in New Jersey, Freshly founder and CEO Mike Wystrach said the company will maintain its headquarters in New York City.
“We’re excited to expand our footprint in the region and continue our growth in the Garden State,” he said. “The addition of a new facility of this size will bring hundreds of new jobs to East Greenwich and allow us to significantly scale our meal production to move us closer to the goal of being in every household in America.
“We are thankful for our partnership with Gov. (Phil) Murphy and his team for their leadership in assisting us with this significant expansion of our company.”
Freshly is a weekly subscription service delivering fresh, chef-cooked meals directly to customers’ doors. The company, which says it wants to break down barriers to healthy eating, boasts that its meals can be heated and served in three minutes — and that all that is needed is a microwave, fork and a plate.
The company, which was acquired by Nestlé USA last October, currently ships more than 1 million meals per week to customers in 48 states. It recently opened distribution facilities in Georgia and California to help satisfy the growing need.
Murphy said getting a second facility in New Jersey is a win for the state.
“We are thrilled that Freshly has decided to expand its operations in New Jersey,” he said. “South Jersey is the perfect place for a leading provider of fresh, healthy prepared meals to open another facility.
“We have seen how important food delivery services have become during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to working with Freshly to support its growth, as well as bring new jobs to the region.”
Choose New Jersey CEO Jose Lozano said he feels the East Greenwich location is a perfect fit for Freshly.
“Freshly is leading the way in delivering fresh meals directly to customers, and South Jersey is a hub for food and beverage innovation,” he said. “Freshly is well-positioned to take advantage of everything our state has to offer.
“Choose New Jersey is excited that Freshly is opening up a second location in New Jersey, creating new jobs that will provide a major boost to the local and regional economy.”
