Local foodservice company coming to Menifee

An Inland foodservice distribution company has purchased a building in Menifee that it’s converting into a refrigerated and subzero freezer distribution center.

Temecula-based Southwest Traders recently bought the building at the Gateway at Menifee Industrial business park, 33520 Zeiders Road, according to a statement on the company’s website.

The facility is expected to be ready this fall. The company plans to add 250 employees immediately, and another 250 during the next five years.

Southwest Traders reportedly paid $40.5 million for the structure.

“We draw nearly fifty percent of our workforce from this region, so Menifee was a logical choice for our expansion efforts to move closer to where our teammates live,” said Terry Walsh, president of Southwest Traders, in the statement. “The city’s economic potential made it an exciting place to invest.”

Family-operated Southwest Traders was founded in 1977. The Menifee building will reportedly be the company’s corporate headquarters.