A M King has completed construction of a south Texas-based distribution center for Mexico-based GAB Operations, LLC (GAB). The new 45,590-sf facility will provide increased cold storage capacity for fresh produce and serve as a hub for the company’s U.S. and Canadian customers.
GAB, founded more than four decades ago in Guanajuato, Mexico, specializes in the production, development, marketing, and distribution of fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits. Items include broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and other leafy greens, varieties of lettuce, celery, sweet corn, snow peas, pumpkin, sweet mini peppers, berries, and more. In addition, the company, which operates under the brand names Mr. Lucky and Covemex, is one of the largest garlic and organic tomato producers in Mexico prepares fresh-cut produce for foodservice clients and provides pre-packed salads and private-label products for many U.S.-based produce businesses.
GAB’s Laredo distribution center is located in the Pinnacle Industry Center, which is just minutes from the Rio Grande River, World Trade Bridge border crossing, and the Laredo International Airport. It is neighbor to Mission Produce’s new 262,000-sf greenfield ripening, processing, and distribution center, a recently completed A M King project.
“We’re thrilled to have completed another prominent produce project in Laredo,” says Dan Crist, A M King Vice President. “Our food industry expertise, coupled with our track record of successfully completing cold storage and distribution facilities, put us in a great position to design and build this project, and serve as a resource for a new international client.”
“A M King designed and built an excellent facility for us in Laredo,” says Jaime Usabiaga, GAB General Manager. “Because we’ll have storage for an additional two million pounds of frozen produce plus day holding capacity for fresh, we will not have to rely on outside storage and can provide faster delivery and service to our customers.”
The GAB distribution center not only houses the cold storage warehouse and GAB offices but will also feature a trucker dormitory where fleet drivers may rest before continuing their route. During the design phase, A M King worked with GAB to ensure that the layout and flow of the space met current as well as future needs. As part of the process, our team included a forced-air cooler to bring the temperature of the produce down quickly and safely and incorporated different vertical leveler lengths for cargo flexibility.
In addition, the client opted for all dock positions to be drive-thru applications, which allows truck drivers to leave their doors closed until they are fully backed into a loading dock position. The doors are then opened from inside the facility, providing means for exercising high-quality control standards.
For more information: 
A M King Group
Tel.: +1 704 365 3160
Web: amkinggroup.com