Yale equipment at Central Grocers' Joliet facility.

Lines of hydrogen fuel cell-powered materials handling equipment and cavernous spaces greet visitors to Central Grocers Inc's new distribution center in a Joliet business park. Approximately 2,000 people attended a 29 March grand opening ceremony with the opportunity to see the equipment and tour the corporate headquarters, freezer/cooler space and ambient warehouse.

"All the trucks are delivered and are in operation," says Kal Anglewicz, president of dealership Yale Equipment & Services LLC of Rosemont, Illinois. Central Grocers purchased 219 fuel cell-powered Yale units and is retiring 170 battery-powered forklifts through Yale Equipment.

GenDrive-brand hydrogen fuel cell power units from Plug Power Inc of Latham, New York are installed on the Yale pallet trucks, reach trucks, counterbalance stand ups and counterbalance forklifts. Air Products & Chemicals Inc of Allentown, Pennsylvania supplied a liquid hydrogen storage compression system and multiple indoor fueling dispensers.

The member-owned wholesale grocery co-operative invested about USD90 million in buying real estate, constructing a state-of-the-art 934,340 square foot (84,104 sqm) facility and purchasing infrastructure and operating equipment.

"This is a great moment not only for our company but for the Chicago area as a whole," says Jim Denges, chief executive officer of Central Grocers.

Central Grocers had operated from a base in Franklin Park, Illinois for 52 years. The move of 35 miles (56 km) to Joliet positions the firm near the intersection of two interstate highways and improves its ability to serve more of the metropolitan Chicago area in Illinois and north western Indiana.

Local officials approved abating 50% of the site's property taxes for five years. Also, the cooperative will receive USD3.8-million in state corporate tax credits and USD87,500 for employer training.

Former affiliates of another cooperative, Certified Grocers Inc of Hodgkins, Illinois, become members of Central Grocers in May. The enlarged organisation under the Central Grocers' identity will employ about 500 persons and supply 225 independent businesses operating 450 stores in four states.