Evans Meats & Seafood has completed its move into a larger facility in Birmingham, marking a significant step forward for the longtime family-owned distributor as it continues expanding across the Southeast.
The company relocated operations to a 116,000-square-foot warehouse on Messer Airport Highway after purchasing the property for $2.625 million. The transition into the new facility was completed earlier this year following a planned January move.
Founded in 1998 by J.T. “Butch” Evans Jr., Evans Meats & Seafood has grown from a local supplier into a regional distributor serving restaurants and institutions across multiple states.
The business is now led by Evans’ three sons — Addam, Chase and Hunter — who oversee sales, logistics and operations.
For owner Addam Evans, the move marks both a milestone and a necessity after more than two decades in the company’s previous facility.
“It still feels surreal to be somewhere new. We were at the warehouse on Finley for more than 25 years,” Evans said. “But the move came about more out of necessity than anything. To continue to offer the level of service that we seek to provide and to have a suitable work environment for our people — we had grown to the point that there was just no more space to do that.”
Evans reflected on the company’s evolution at the former location, noting that many of the business’ defining expansions took place there.
“We reached so many milestones in that building, more than we ever dreamed we would,” he said. “Going from just a meat company to having a seafood program, and later adding specialty foods. All of those changes have shaped who we are today. The number one thing we’re proud of is the quality of the employees we’ve been able to attract and the overall culture that we’ve created.”
According to Matchett Gunn of Evans Meats & Seafood, remaining in Birmingham was a key priority during the site selection process, particularly with employees in mind.
“One of the things that we considered when we moved is a lot of our employees,” Gunn said. “We wanted to stay in Birmingham. We started in Birmingham, and it’s really important to Evans to stay in the city.”
Gunn said the company was intentional about choosing a location close to its former facility, noting that many longtime employees live in north Birmingham.
“We made sure that we were still near where our employees live so they still had an easy trip to work,” he said. “It gave us the opportunity to keep a lot of our long-term employees that we really appreciate.”
Company materials indicate the relocation was driven by capacity constraints at its previous location, which had been expanded multiple times over the years. Gunn said the new facility provides the space needed to operate more efficiently while maintaining service standards.
“We were completely out of room,” Gunn said. “It was kind of a miracle that we were able to provide the level of quality and order accuracy to our customers at the old place. Now we have enough space to do what we did — even better.”
Approximately 70,000 square feet of the facility was built out as part of the renovation, with additional space reserved for long-term expansion. Gunn said the increased footprint allows the company to better organize inventory and continue scaling operations.
“We’ve been growing pretty quickly, and it gives us the ability to continue growing while providing that really high level of quality and service our customers expect,” he said.
Evans said employees have responded positively to the new workspace.
“Everybody is just excited and grateful to be in a workspace with so many improvements,” he said.
Looking ahead, Evans said the company’s focus will remain on measured expansion and maintaining service standards.
“Success will look like steady growth while maintaining high-level service and pursuing the best quality products,” he said.
Evans Meats & Seafood serves customers throughout the Southeast, with Alabama as its largest market. The company also has a strong presence in Georgia, Tennessee and along the Gulf Coast.
Evans Meats & Seafood employs about 135 people and has previously projected adding more jobs by the end of the decade. In addition to its wholesale and distribution operations, the company also operates Son of a Butcher, a specialty retail concept located at Pepper Place in Birmingham.
Renovation and build-out of the new headquarters was handled by RaderMcCary, a Birmingham-based commercial construction firm serving industrial and commercial clients across the Southeast.
The completed relocation underscores Evans Meats & Seafood’s long-term investment in Birmingham and positions the company to support the next phase of growth for the family-owned business.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
