Bartlett Dairy, the minority-owned, family-run local business will develop a 54,000 square foot dairy distribution center on the north side of JFK Airport. The new distribution center is expected to create 165 jobs with average wages of $70,000.
“Queens is not just leading the way out of the pandemic. It’s leading the way toward a future where good-paying jobs right here in the borough sustain entire communities. That’s the future Queens’ own Bartlett Dairy is helping build in its hometown, starting with today’s groundbreaking,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome back upwards of 165 good-paying jobs to Queens, and we look forward to working closely with Bartlett Dairy to create even more economic opportunities for local families and for Southeast Queens as a whole.”
“We are excited to be returning home to Jamaica. When my father started this company more than fifty years ago, Bartlett Dairy was a small one man, one truck operation, said Bartlett Dairy Inc. President Thomas Malave Jr. “Over the years, my brothers and I have worked tirelessly to build upon the opportunity our father provided. It has been astonishing to see the growth that we have been able to achieve. We would not be where we are today, breaking ground on our new headquarters, without the dedication of all of our wonderful employees and the support of the City of New York, Borough President Richards, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and the local community.”
Starting with one truck in 1963, the Malave family has consistently grown their dairy and food distribution businesses. The Queens-based businesses employ approximately 500 people across three locations in Jamaica, Newark, and Rochester. They deliver to schools, hotels, grocery stores, and restaurants, among others across the tri-state area.
In 2015, NYCEDC issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking proposals for redevelopment of the JFK North Site. Bartlett was selected to develop the site and was able to meet the City’s industrial manufacturing criteria, Living Wage and HireNYC requirements for employees, as well as a 25% MWBE contracting goal for design and construction.
