United Natural Foods Inc. is pulling out of Sturtevant, permanently closing its Racine County distribution facility and wiping out roughly 443 local jobs. The shutdown tightens the footprint of a national wholesaler that has long been a primary distributor to Whole Foods Market.
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the company notified state officials of the planned closure and layoffs on March 17, 2026. The notice describes the shutdown of the Sturtevant facility as permanent and says it will affect about 443 employees.
UNFI’s role and the Sturtevant facility
UNFI has spent years as a major distributor for natural and organic grocers, including Whole Foods Market, according to the company’s filings. In its annual report filed with the SEC, UNFI lists Sturtevant among its distribution centers and shows roughly 442 employees tied to that site, underscoring the local scale of the looming layoffs, as detailed in UNFI’s 10‑K.
Part of a broader network overhaul
The Sturtevant shutdown follows a string of recent consolidations as UNFI reshapes its network to cut costs and modernize operations. Industry reporting and company statements show UNFI has closed other distribution centers, including a Fort Wayne site, while shifting volumes to what it calls modernized facilities and pursuing regional restructuring. An earlier company release on BusinessWire documents those moves.
Local impact and worker resources
The losses at the Sturtevant site will erase hundreds of middle-skill warehouse jobs that support local trucking and supplier services, putting fresh pressure on Racine County’s labor market and related service firms. Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development notes that employers must file advance layoff notices in certain cases and that the agency coordinates pre-layoff “rapid response” services, including job search assistance and training referrals, to help displaced workers, according to DWD…