North Carolina Beer Distributor Renovates Warehouse Facilities with Sustainable Features

Mims Distributing Company of Raleigh, North Carolina, has moved into a larger facility to accommodate growing business. The new warehouse is 140,000 square feet, which gives the company an additional 50,000 square feet. It also includes several sustainable features.

Mims Distributing has been located in Raleigh, North Carolina, since 1964, so it seemed natural for the distributorship to stay in the area. Mims purchased a new facility which was previously home to a pharmaceutical distribution company. The company chose to renovate the building as opposed to constructing an entirely new facility, which helped make the expansion as ecologically friendly as possible. Working with Prime Building, HagerSmith PA, First Citizens Bank and Baker Renewable Energy, the distributorship began to install new features in the facility to ensure optimum quality control for all products. New features installed include energy-efficient, high-performance insulation, cooling and lighting systems and low water use plumbing fixtures.

Employees and their families tour the new facility in November 2011In addition to installing new hardware, Mims also selected the building for its ability to host a private solar rooftop. Baker Renewable Energy of Raleigh, North Carolina, helped to install a rooftop solar panel system which features a photovoltaic rooftop net metering system that allows the distributorship to collect and use solar power onsite, offsetting approximately 20 percent of the building’s energy needs. The system is the largest of its kind in Wake County, North Carolina.

“We are excited about the long-term financial and green benefits of this rooftop system – it fits perfectly with what we’re trying to accomplish in terms of lowering operational costs and reducing our environmental impact,” said CEO of Mims Distributing, Chip Mims. “It’s great to be able to tell our brewers and customers that we can deliver quality products and services while still minimizing our carbon signature in so many ways because of this expansion.”

Additional features at the new location include a hops field and a smart water retention strategy that will minimize the company’s overall water consumption.

The new facility and all of the sustainable features will allow Mims to continue efficiently providing domestic, import and craft beer brands to licensed retailers in nine central North Carolina counties – Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren.

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