SUNBELT NATURAL FOODS CELEBRATES NEW WAREHOUSE

by Roger Ballas, reprinted by permission of The Apopka Chief
Save for the sounds from a rolling pallet jack or tow motor or a departing delivery truck, a new Sunbelt Natural Foods distribution center and headquarters has quietly moved in to Apopka, Fla. Located on Benbow Court across from Walmart on US 441, the facility is unique.
Pablo Ayala, CFO of Sunbelt, said Sunbelt Natural Foods is a food distribution branch of Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “We distribute to health food stores, institutions, and food services,” he said. “We offer a wide variety of products and brands including Kellogg’s (Worthington, Loma Linda, MorningStar Farms, Gardenburger, and Kashi), Cedar Lake, Heritage Health Foods, Better than Milk, McKay’s, Virgil’s Sodas, Good Karma, Ginseng UP, Crystal Geyser, Vegenaise, and several others.”
On October 29, Sunbelt held its grand opening celebration. Apopka Mayor Joe Kisheimer was there to assist with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with officials from Atlantic Natural Foods, Kellogg’s national sales, Cedar Lake Foods, Heritage Health Foods, and the staff and management of Sunbelt.
Sunbelt Natural Foods took shape in 2002 under the Florida Adventist Book Center (ABC) through the advice of Don Otis, national sales director for specialty foods at Kellogg’s. As the demand for vegetarian alternative products increased in Florida and the Caribbean, it led to the creation of Sunbelt Natural Foods Distributors with three warehouses, including Hagerstown, Md.; Miami Springs; and Apopka.
According to Ayala, it was former ABC General Manager Gerald Bond and Associate Manager Bruce Otis who undertook the challenge. During the early years, Otis made all the deliveries with his own pickup truck as states were added to the distribution chain.
During 2008, under the leadership of Ayala who was then ABC general manager, Sunbelt purchased a warehouse facility in Hagerstown, Md. Time passed, and high demand required more trucks employees and warehouses.
In December 2013, Sunbelt officially filed a corporate charter to become a for-profit organization and untied itself from the ABC and its not-for-profit status. In 2014, a 30,000-square-foot property was purchased in Apopka and became the newest warehouse and corporate headquarters.
With a fleet of six trucks and 12 employees, Sunbelt is ready for continued growth. “We run five routes around Florida and ship containers to the Caribbean,” says Ayala. “Sales this year are projected to top $5.5 million after hitting the $5 million mark in 2013.”
While Sunbelt is a wholesale distributor, many of its products are sold locally at Hoover’s Market, 1035 Academy Drive in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and at A Better Choice: Books • Deli • Natural Foods, 351 S. State Road 434 in Altamonte Springs. Visitors to the Sunbelt web site at www.sunbeltnatural.com can find recipes for vegan dishes and other product-based foods.
“Sunbelt is committed to serving its customers with amazing service and the best health food products in the market,” says Ayala. “In accordance with Bible teachings,” he added, “it is Sunbelt management’s sincere desire to continue submitting to His guidance to provide our customers with an alternative choice of foods that will honor their bodies and minds for the Glory of our God who is soon to come.”
To reach Sunbelt Natural Foods Distributors in Apopka, call (407) 901-3713.