Pompeian Inc. says it's seeing demand for its products surge — growth that has prompted it to pursue a lease for a 400,000-square-foot distribution center at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point. The Baltimore-based olive oil and boutique vinegar company's expansion will also include a new city-based warehouse near Highlandtown and about a dozen new jobs by 2023, company officials said this week.
Pompeian's expansion is taking place as demand for olive oil has been strong this year due to a spike in home cooking amid Covid-19, Chief Operating Officer Mouna Aissaoui said Wednesday. It marks one of the few positive benchmarks this fall as the impact of the novel coronavirus continues to rock the economy and workplace. Aissaoui said the company is negotiating a lease with Tradepoint Atlantic officials for up to 400,000 square feet of warehouse space at the former Sparrows Point steel mill site. The new space will create a mid-Atlantic distribution center for the Pompeian products that line grocery shelves in large chain stores around the U.S. In the city, the company is also increasing its footprint with a new 40,000-square-foot warehouse and bottling plant off Pulaski Highway by 2022, Aissaoui said.
