Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG) and Symbotic Inc. (Nasdaq: SYM) have announced a strategic agreement to deploy warehouse automation at AWG’s Gulf Coast Division Support Center in Pearl River, Louisiana.
The project is expected to strengthen operational efficiency, improve service reliability and enhance long-term supply chain resilience across AWG’s distribution network.
AWG’s Gulf Coast Division Support Center handles more than 22 million cases of dry grocery each year using manual processes. Increasing operational demands – coupled with challenges like labor retention in manual roles, rising equipment repair and distribution costs, weather-related disruptions and capacity limitations – have required ongoing future investments. Those factors prompted AWG to pursue a more scalable and resilient solution to support continued growth and improve service to the communities its member retailers serve.
To address these challenges, AWG will deploy Symbotic’s high-density, end-to-end automation system across approximately 114,000 square feet of the existing facility. Once operational, the automated system is expected to handle nearly 19 million cases annually, improving order accuracy, reducing product damage, increasing operational consistency and creating additional capacity within the existing footprint.
“The Symbotic automation solution will directly address supply chain risks by consolidating the majority of our Gulf Coast Division Support Center grocery volume into a highly automated environment. This will reduce labor dependency, damage and repair costs, and create a safer, more resilient operation. Most importantly, it allows us to grow without the expense of building additional space, driving long-term capital savings while protecting service to our members,” said Richard Kearns, AWG’s EVP of distribution and logistics.
“We are proud and excited to partner with Associated Wholesale Grocers on this important transformation,” said Brian Alexander, SVP of commercial at Symbotic. “AWG’s Gulf Coast facility supports independent grocers that are vital to their local communities. Through the implementation of our ultra-high-density AI enabled automation platform, that ecosystem will be powered by a more reliable, efficient and flexible operation that can adapt to changing demand while improving service, safety and resiliency.”
Construction preparation and facility modifications are expected to begin in early 2027, followed by system installation, testing and integration. AWG anticipates the automated platform will go live in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Kansas City, Kansas-based AWG is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving approximately 1,100 member companies operating more than 3,500 locations across 33 states from nine wholesale division support centers. Consolidated sales for AWG in 2025 were $12.2 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, AWG operates subsidiary companies providing real estate and supermarket development services and pharmaceutical products.
Symbotic is an automation technology leader focused on the supply chain with its end-to-end, AI-powered robotic and software platform. Symbotic serves the world’s largest retail, wholesale, food and beverage, and medical supply distribution companies.
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