A Windsor-based specialty maker of shipping crates recently paid $3.5 million for a 51,880-square-foot Bloomfield warehouse, positioning itself for continued growth.
A Windsor-based specialty maker of shipping crates recently paid $3.5 million for a 51,880-square-foot Bloomfield warehouse, positioning itself for continued growth.
In a deed recorded March 25, a limited liability company affiliated with All Crate Inc. acquired a 51,880-square-foot warehouse on 7 acres at 450 Woodland Ave. from Connecticut Foodshare.
The Wallingford-based statewide food bank formed in 2021 through the merger of the Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare. Attempts to reach a Connecticut Foodshare representative were not immediately successful Tuesday.
All Crate President Joseph Novak said he understands that Connecticut Foodshare is consolidating to a more centralized location in the state.
All Crate currently employs 21 people and operates out of two locations in Windsor and aims to begin expanded manufacturing and warehousing operations in Bloomfield within about a month, Novak said. He plans to move a handful of staff to the Bloomfield location and then hire another four to six staff there over the coming year, while also maintaining his production in Windsor.
The 34-year-old company makes custom crates and pallets to ship machinery and products, predominantly for regional aerospace, medical and automotive companies, Novak said.
Built in 2005, the former Connecticut Foodshare warehouse in Bloomfield is metal-sided and features 28-foot wall heights. Novak said it is “a perfect fit” thanks to an existing high-bay racking system and a large production area.
Novak was represented by Kathyrn Colombie, of Sentry Commercial. Mark Duclos, of Sentry Commercial, listed the property for Connecticut Foodshare.
Novak secured a $3.25 million loan from Windsor Federal Bank, backed by a mortgage on the property at 450 Woodland Ave.
Novak started building crates in his father’s garage in Windsor when he was 24. He’d previously traveled the country building bars when his father — who had been a national account manager for AT&T — asked for a little help with a side job. Today, Novak runs the business with his two sons, 25-year-old Jeffery and 23-year-old Michael.
“I get a lot of calls from larger companies wanting to buy me out, but I want to keep it as a family business,” Novak said.
