Distribution center fully integrated into Kopke operations

A year after it opened, the Kopke Distribution Center is fully operational in Vineland, N.J., and providing key logistic support for Great Neck, N.Y.-based William H. Kopke Jr., Inc.

William Kopke, managing director for the global trading company, said in an e-mail that the custom-built distribution center is located on 24 acres and boasts 168,000 square feet. 

The facility has a 25,000 square foot repack room, pre-cooling and forced air tunnels and 29 doors.

The facility opened in February of 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Kopke said.

“It’s pretty exciting that we can control our own logistics, which in this environment is important,” he said.

Grape outlook

One unexpected aspect of the current environment for Chilean importers was a big rain event in Chile in late January. That, Kopke said, caused variable damage to Chilean fruit crops, depending on location and variety.

“No one really knows what the effects are until they get into the farms and the grapes mature a little bit more,” he said.

There was about a three- to four-day interruption in harvest because of rains. In particular, thompson seedless grapes are significantly damaged, he said.

“The green grapes were short to begin with going into the season,” Kopke said. “Having a rain knock out a significant percentage of the green grapes is going to make things challenging in terms of continuity for March, April, and May.”