A M King, an integrated design-build firm, has completed design and commenced construction on its fourth major project for Cheney Brothers Inc. The 386,047-square-foot refrigerator/freezer distribution facility in Florence, S.C., will include 45 loading docks, a Cheney Express and the largest culinary kitchen the company has developed to date. 

A M King, Cheney Brothers Inc. and Florence County Economic Development Partnership hosted an official groundbreaking event Dec. 4, 2024. The day’s festivities included a shovel ceremony, a visit from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, and site tours.

New distribution center

Cheney Brothers, based in Riviera Beach, Fla., was founded in 1925. In 2016, the company purchased Pate Dawson Co., thereby acquiring distribution and processing facilities in Statesville, N.C., and Greensboro, N.C. The Florence facility, located on nearly 50 acres in the Pee Dee Commerce City East Industrial Park — across I-95 from Buc-ee’s — will be the company’s first in South Carolina. The new distribution center will provide means for the broadline distributor to significantly expand its reach in the region. 

“This new distribution center in Florence will allow Cheney Brothers to enhance our customer service and obtain a higher level of customer satisfaction,” said Byron Russell, chairman and chief executive officer, Cheney Brothers. “The support we have received from the State of South Carolina and the local communities has been tremendous.”

A M King Business Unit Leader David Sawicki said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Cheney Brothers to develop a facility of this magnitude and complexity. Our history of successful projects for CBI, along with our depth and breadth of food industry expertise, makes this an ideal venture.” 

Warren Newell, Cheney Brothers’ director of development, said, “I have worked with dozens of Design-Build and construction firms over the years, and I can honestly say that A M King is one of the finest. There is no doubt they will design and construct a first-class distribution center for us in Florence, which will strengthen our ability to serve Southeast Atlantic coastal customers.”

"We're thrilled to witness Cheney Brothers break ground on their state-of-the-art distribution center, strategically sited to serve the Carolinas market,” said Florence County economic development partnership chair Joe W. Pearce. “We look forward to a fruitful partnership and the realization of their $66+ million investment.” 

“We are immensely grateful for Cheney Brothers’ trust and investment in Florence County,” said Florence County Council Chairman William Schofield. “We are confident that their presence will reflect the success of the thriving companies already here, creating jobs and making a lasting impact on our community. This partnership marks an exciting chapter in our journey toward growth and prosperity.”

A M King’s scope of work will include 100,963 square feet of dry storage and a 36,098-square-foot dry dock; a 90,095-square-foot freezer; 60,683 square feet of cooler with separate rooms and temperatures for dairy/meat, flour and produce, and a 31,533-square-foot cooler dock; 30,424 square feet of office spaces; a 7,142-square-foot Cheney Express; and a 3,364-square-foot test kitchen. 

A M King has completed two major expansions at Cheney Brothers’ Statesville facility, bringing the total square footage to 342,126. The projects included additional cold storage and dry warehouse space, a 2,000-square-foot commercial culinary center, a penthouse refrigeration system, 37 new dock positions and a new receiving office. The complexity of these projects was heightened by the fact that all work was performed in an operational distribution center. 

A M King's design-build team also transformed a vacant shell building in Greensboro into a food processing facility for CBI affiliate Southern Foods. A M King won five industry awards for the Statesville facility and Southern Foods facility projects.

Sources: A M King; Cheney Brothers Inc.