FreshDirect, the Northeast’s leading online fresh food grocer, today announced that it has hired over the past three years more than 1,500 employees from Bronx, surpassing a commitment it made to the city that it would hire at least 1,000 employees from the borough as part of the company’s move to South Bronx.
“Having 1,000 Bronx residents on staff meets our goal and is an important milestone for locals who stood with FreshDirect and publicly supported the project,” said FreshDirect CEO and Co-Founder David McInerney. “Moreover, it underscores our commitment to the city on our local hiring.”
When FreshDirect announced its plans to build a state-of-the-art facility in Bronx and again when the FreshDirect Campus opened last year, the company was celebrated for its commitment to the borough and the potential for job creation and collaboration. Every week, the company hires about 30 people, of which 60-80% come from Bronx. The number of Bronx-based active employees has increased every year the past few years and now accounts for about a third of FreshDirect’s total population.
“It was important when FreshDirect announced its move to the Bronx that the jobs the company created would go to Bronx residents. The company’s hiring statistics make it clear that FreshDirect has done the work to provide borough residents with the opportunities for jobs and careers that were not previously available to them. Our borough has seen record drops in unemployment over the past decade, and FreshDirect is an important part of that story,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. “I commend FreshDirect for their commitment to local hiring, and I look forward to continuing to work with the company to create new career paths for Bronx residents at all levels of their organization.”
“FreshDirect has been a major catalyst to the recent Bronx resurgence by serving as an innovation hub for food accessibility. They’ve been an outstanding neighbor to the people of the Bronx by creating 1,000 new jobs and partnering with local businesses to stock and sell Bronx-made products. I hope to see FreshDirect continue to grow its services to employ even more Bronx residents,” said Bronx Council Member Diana Ayala.
FreshDirect have made employment from Bronx a priority, serving as a catalyst for the borough moving forward.
“I want to thank FreshDirect for moving to The Bronx and providing our residents with the opportunity to have at least 1,000 jobs in their own backyard. Our collective vision to have them remain in New York City is paying off for the Bronx,” said Marlene Cintron, President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
“When FreshDirect moved to the Bronx in 2018, they promised to bring jobs to our community; today’s announcement shows that they have delivered on that promise. FreshDirect has uplifted the Bronx by creating 1,000 new jobs and boosting our local economy. They’ve brought new jobs, fresh ideas, and fresh produce to a community that has previously struggled with high rates of unemployment. I look forward to seeing FreshDirect’s future success in our community,” said New York State Assemblyman and Chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party Marcos Crespo.
The more than 1,000 Bronx employees cover the full spectrum of job opportunities at FreshDirect, from temporary hire to full-time positions. These include accounting, human resources, shipping and quality control positions, as well as jobs in the plant and in transportation.
“I am extremely happy that FreshDirect kept their word on community hires, extremely happy that FreshDirect hired NYCHA residents, and that they did so with great faith and good gesture. I look forward to continuing the relationship with FreshDirect for the residents of public housing and the surrounding community,” said Daniel Barber, Citywide NYCHA Council of Presidents Chairman.
“FreshDirect representatives met with our residents very early on to discuss many issues, but most importantly, employment for the residents of our development and the neighborhood. Not only has FreshDirect met and exceeded their promises, they have opened the doors of their facility up to our residents. We work with their team and FreshDirect has been a great partner for the residents of the Mill Brook Houses. They are an example of how companies should partner with the local community,” said Princella Jamerson, Tenant President, Mill Brook Houses.
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