Co-Packing Solutions - April 2009 - (Page 21) lEfT: From leFT To righT: Darren rebelez, eVp, chieF operaTing oFFicer, 7-eleVen, inc.; bill norris, ceo, norris FooD serVices; roberT cozens, Vice presiDenT, norTheasT DiVision, 7-eleVen, inc., anD michael norris, presiDenT, norris FooD serVices. RighT: new yorkers paTronize The 7-eleVen sTore on easT 23 rD sTreeT in manhaTTan. ers with the freshest prepared foods. State-of-the-art inventory and computerized ordering systems allow 7-Eleven operators to place orders by 10 a.m. each day for deliveries that will begin later those same days. Orders are consolidated through a computer system, which transmits them to the CDCs, commissaries and bakeries supporting the sandwich on flatbread and filled with deli meats, cheeses and spreads, in varieties including ham, salami, turkey and pepperoni. The chain was also among the first to operate stores 24 hours a day, offer self-service fountain soft drinks and serve continually fresh-brewed coffee. “They always seem to be on the cusps of new products, new ideas and industry firsts,” Testa says. One of those pioneering steps was heralded in late January, when 7-Eleven opened its new Commissary and Combined Distribution Center (CDC) in Bohemia, Long Island. Fresh foods are prepared in the environmentally sensitive, mixed-use facility for delivery to 674 7-Elevens in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The new 130,000-square-foot facility, including Commissary and combined Distribution Center, “demonstrates 7-Eleven’s approach to providing a broad selection of april 2009 Each day, more than seven million North American customers shop at 7-Eleven stores for products that have become synonymous with the chain. fresh, high-quality foods in an environment that will conserve energy, water usage and utility costs,” Joe DePinto, president and CEO of 7-Eleven, says. The more than 250 employees of the integrated distribution center and 72,000-square-foot commissary kitchen ensure sandwiches, salads, entrees and other fresh foods are prepared to quality standards that meet or surpass USDA regulations. The facility is the newest enhancement to a nationwide network established in 1994 enabling 7-Eleven stores to provide customnation’s 7-Eleven stores. Once the orders are received, foods are prepared the same day, stamped with the time and date prepared and shipped from temperature-controlled docks. If there’s one customer-capturing quality shared by Costco, Publix and 7-Eleven, it’s their ability to effectively differentiate themselves from competitors, Testa says. “Publix and Costco differentiate on employee retention and satisfaction, while for 7-Eleven, it’s the ability to continue to innovate,” he concludes. Co-PaCki n g SolU Ti onS • 21
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