Aldi confirmed Jan. 16 that it plans a distribution center in the former C&S Wholesale Services facility in Baldwin, part of the German-based grocery’s nationwide expansion.
In a Jan. 16 email, Aldi Regional Vice President JR Perry said the center is planned at 15500 W. Beaver St. where C&S Grocers was leasing a 1.2 million-square-foot facility on 200 acres.
The company announced Jan. 12 it planned a Baldwin distribution center but did not disclose the address.
C&S Wholesale Services, also called C&S Wholesale Grocers, closed that center in July 2025.
Perry said the company had “begun transitioning the Baldwin distribution center.”
The distribution center in Baldwin serviced Winn-Dixie, which Aldi acquired as part of its purchase of the store’s parent company, Southeastern Grocers, in 2024.
In 2025, Aldi sold back about 170 stores to Southeastern Grocers after the company was acquired by a consortium of private investors, including C&S.
C&S began working with Winn-Dixie in 2013 when the grocer merged with Greenville, South Carolina-based Bi-Lo Holdings to form Southeastern Grocers. C&S had worked with B-Lo since 2005.
“As Aldi accelerates its rapid national growth, with plans to open more than 180 new stores in 31 states in 2026 alone, we are committed to scaling our infrastructure to meet increasing customer demand,” Perry said. “As part of this expansion, we have begun transitioning the Baldwin distribution center to better support our mission of offering high-quality products at the lowest prices of any national grocery store.
“We are making significant investments to upgrade this facility, with plans to open its doors in 2027. This expansion will not only enhance our supply chain capabilities but also create hundreds of new jobs with competitive pay and benefits, further strengthening our presence and positive contributions to the local community.”
In April 2024, C&S Wholesale Services notified the state and Baldwin that it was closing, eliminating about 490 employees. The largest concentration of the jobs 132 were drivers, with the remainder comprising the rest of the staff.
The distribution center’s transition to Aldi would not affect Winn-Dixie, according to Southeastern Grocers.
Meredith Hurley, senior director of Communications and Community for Southeastern Grocers, said Jan. 13 by email:
“C&S has previously shared that it no longer has the rights to this facility and will be exiting the Baldwin facility,” she said.
“In fact, C&S has not supplied our Winn-Dixie stores from the Baldwin warehouse in several months.”
The Baldwin distribution center is one of three announced by Aldi Jan. 12 with others being a Goodyear, Arizona, center planned for 2028 and an Aurora, Colorado, center projected for 2029.
Aldi said it plans to open more than 180 stores by the end of 2026, including expansion into Colorado. Its goal is 3,200 stores by the end of 2028.
In Northeast Florida, Aldi’s first 18 stores comprise 11 in Duval County; one in Nassau County in Yulee; two in St. Johns County in St. Augustine and Saint Johns; and four in Clay County in Fleming Island and Middleburg and two in Orange Park.