KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — South Mill Champs, one of the largest high-quality mushroom growers in North America, announced the purchase of a new distribution center in Lakeland, Florida. The facility is a food-grade facility that spans over 30,000 square feet. The company expects to commission the facility in November following the necessary upgrades required for mushroom processing.
South Mill Champs operates a network of distribution centers across the United States with locations in Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles. The distribution centers provide on-site, fresh-sliced, high-quality mushrooms directly from its Pennsylvania and British Columbia farms. Additionally, the distribution centers provide seasonal produce items to the local food-service and retail markets.
“Florida is a natural extension of our sales network,” said Lewis Macleod, the South Mill Champs CEO. “Our expansion into Florida is in line with our mission as we meet the increasing demand from our customers, many of which have a significant presence in this key market.”
An analysis of retail data, published by the Mushroom Council, through September 6, 2020, shows that national mushroom retail sales are more than 20% ahead of last year in dollars and 17% ahead in pounds. The retail insights also show that mushrooms have placed in the top 10 of fruits and vegetables with the highest year-over-year absolute dollar gains for 26 straight weeks.
“We expect that market demand for mushrooms will continue to increase,” continues Macleod, “as mainstream consumers become increasingly educated on the health and environmental benefits of mushrooms. We are passionate about our mission to educate consumers on what we call mushrooms’ trifecta of goodness™ – great tasting, great for you, and great for the planet.”
About South Mill Champs
South Mill Champs is a leading vertically integrated compost producer and grower and supplier of North American-grown fresh mushrooms and functional mushroom foods. The company is headquartered in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Positioned to be the most innovative, customer-focused supplier in the industry, South Mill Champs offers mushrooms and other produce with full-service logistics and storage and has a reputation for superior quality and consistent supply.
