Kroger and Ocado Bringing 6th High-Tech Customer Fulfillment Center to Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

South Wisconsin facility expected to create up to 400 new jobs

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Nov 14, 2019, 08:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's favorite grocer, and Ocado (LSE: OCDO), one of the world's largest dedicated online grocery retailers, today announced Pleasant Prairie, WI, as the sixth location for a Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC).

"Kroger is incredibly excited to construct one of our industry-leading Customer Fulfillment Centers in Pleasant Prairie, WI, in relationship with Ocado to bring fresh food to our customers faster than ever before," said Robert Clark, Kroger's senior vice president of supply chain, manufacturing and sourcing. "Through our strategic partnership, we are engineering a model for the region, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience for our customers in Wisconsin and Illinois."

Kroger has partnered with Ocado to accelerate its ability to provide customers with anything, anytime, anywhere. In June, Kroger broke ground on its first CFC in Monroe, OH and has since announced additional locations in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and in the Mid-Atlantic region.

"We are excited to bring Kroger and Ocado's latest automated warehouse to Pleasant Prairie. As this site develops and goes live, it will be instrumental in delivering fantastic grocery experiences and exciting job opportunities to households across Chicago, Milwaukee and beyond," said Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions. "Today's announcement marks another big milestone on the road to developing a seamless fulfilment ecosystem for Kroger customers across the United States. Ocado's proven technology will allow Kroger to achieve the lowest cost-to-serve in the market, combined with the best freshness, accuracy and service."

"We're extremely pleased that two companies of Kroger and Ocado's stature are the latest to choose Wisconsin for their operations," said Missy Hughes, secretary and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). "Wisconsin's excellent transportation infrastructure, educated and highly-skilled workers and strong communities make our state the clear choice for businesses like Kroger and Ocado that are looking to grow. We look forward to working with them, the Kenosha Area Business Association and Pleasant Prairie to move this project forward."

The Pleasant Prairie CFC will measure 350,000 square feet and is expected to create up to 400 new jobs.

"Pleasant Prairie is honored to have Kroger join our community. It's exciting to know we'll have a business that can deliver fresh groceries right to the doorstep of our neighborhoods and the entire region," said Nathan Thiel, Pleasant Prairie Village Administrator. "Kroger is an excellent community partner, and we are committed to protecting and preserving their investment in our community."

"This project expands Kroger's commitment to continued investment in Wisconsin and Illinois. With this cutting-edge technology, Kroger is confident our partnership with Ocado will play an integral role in the continued commerce growth of this dynamic region," added Michael Marx, Kroger Roundy's president. "This transformative fulfillment center will create local jobs and accelerate Kroger's ability to expand our products and services to a larger footprint, providing customers with anything, anytime, anywhere."

The CFC will become operational 24 months after the site breaks ground and will serve customers in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

To view video and photography of a CFC, visit here.

About The Kroger Co.

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Ocado Solutions

Ocado Solutions is responsible for Ocado's corporate partnerships, providing the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) as a service to retailers around the world. OSP comprises access to Ocado's physical infrastructure solutions, running highly efficient warehouse operations for the single pick of products, together with the entire end-to-end proprietary software applications required to operate a world class online grocery business. It is underpinned by Ocado's proven expertise and experience as a dedicated online grocer in the UK.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.