Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ), a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, has officially opened the Rice Distribution Center, a cutting-edge logistics hub in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The center is named after Michael W. Rice, the grandson of Utz founders Bill and Salie Utz, in recognition of his more than 50 years of service before his recent retirement.
Spanning an impressive 650,000 square feet, the facility will serve as the primary logistics hub for inventory storage, consolidation, and distribution across Utz’s U.S. operations. It features 73 dock doors, 375 trailer parking spots, and advanced warehouse management systems. To illustrate its size, the center could house 11 football fields, nine Boeing 747s, or 46.8 million Utz Cheese Ball barrels. Annually, the facility is expected to process 2.3 million pallets and 1.1 billion pounds of products, equating to approximately 18 billion snack food servings.
In collaboration with local and state agencies—including the Borough of Hanover, Adams County, PennDOT, and the Governor’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity—a new traffic light at High Street and Kindig Lane will be installed to ease congestion near Utz’s operations. The center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for December 5, 2024, will feature Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
The facility was constructed by Conewago Enterprises, Inc., a local family-owned design-build general contractor headquartered just two miles from the site.
Reflecting on the milestone, Michael W. Rice shared, “It’s been an honor to be part of the Utz journey over the last 50+ years. This logistics center embodies the company’s values of reinvestment, growth, and customer dedication. I’m proud of our accomplishments and excited for the success this facility will bring.”
Howard Friedman, CEO of Utz Brands, Inc., added, “Our new logistics center underscores our commitment to operational excellence and growth. It enhances capacity, efficiency, and customer service while honoring Mike Rice’s incredible legacy. We are deeply grateful to the state of Pennsylvania and local agencies for their support in making this vision a reality and addressing traffic concerns for the community.”
With this state-of-the-art facility, Utz Brands is poised to strengthen its operations and continue delivering high-quality snacks to customers nationwide.
About Utz Brands, Inc.
Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ) manufactures a diverse portfolio of savory snacks through popular brands, including Utz®, On The Border® Chips & Dips, Zapp’s®, and Boulder Canyon®, among others.
After a century with strong family heritage, Utz continues to have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from top-quality ingredients. Utz’s products are distributed nationally through grocery, mass merchandisers, club, convenience, drug, and other channels.