The Martin-Brower Company, a firm that provides end-to-end supply chain management solutions to quick service restaurants, began construction on a $16 million, 142,000-square-foot, logistics food distribution facility on 22-acres at Livingston Industrial Park on U.S. Highway 190 in Walker, Louisiana.

Since 1979, Martin Brower has operated a food distribution facility in West Baton Rouge Parish. The need for more distribution space and additional rail access led the company to evaluate new potential sites, beginning in the Port Allen area and extending throughout the Capital Region. After also exploring out-of-state options in Mississippi, Martin Brower selected the Livingston Industrial Park as the best-suited location for its new food distribution hub, officials said from Louisiana Economic Development.

“We are thrilled to finally break ground on our Walker facility project,” Martin Brower General Manager Larry Daigle said. “This occasion marks a significant milestone for our organization, team members and customers. Our general contractor has a timeline in place targeting completion near the end of the third quarter of 2016. We remain very thankful for all of the support we have received from LED, LEDC and the City of Walker and are looking forward to our grand opening next year.”

Martin Brower’s new distribution center will be completed by late 2016 and will supply food service products to restaurants in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

To secure the project, the state offered Martin Brower a competitive incentive package that includes a performance-based $1.2 million Economic Development Award Program grant to offset the costs of a new road and related infrastructure improvements at the Livingston Industrial Park in Walker.

Governor Bobby Jindal said, “For more than 50 years, The Martin-Brower Company has perfected the vital role of supply chain management in the restaurant industry. We’re proud that when the time came for enhancing its technology and facilities for the next generation, Martin Brower recognized the many business advantages of operating in Louisiana and chose to expand in our state. This project represents the retention of valued jobs for Louisiana families throughout the Capital Region, and the new facility will lead to more great career opportunities for the people of Livingston Parish.”

Livingston Economic Development Council President/CEO Larry Collins said; “Martin Brower’s decision to locate in Walker is a demonstration of the strength of Livingston Parish as a hub for regional business operations.”

“Martin Brower’s decision to expand its operations in the Capital Region is a testament to the business climate’s viability,” Baton Rouge Area Chamber President/CEO Adam Knapp said. “This expansion preserves the payroll within the region and the new site in Walker will enable the company to grow and serve the needs of its multi-state customer base. That the site had already been vetted expedited the site selection process by compressing the timeframe for due diligence. BRAC was pleased to work closely with the LEDC team, LED and local officials to win this significant project.”