Birmingham-based Buffalo Rock is building a new distribution facility in Santa Rosa County, Fla.

The company announced this week it will break ground on the project, at Northwest Florida Industrial Park, off Interstate 10, in May. It should be operational by the beginning of 2025.

The facility is expected to bring up to 400 jobs to the area, with about half relocating from other areas.

Buffalo Rock bought 47 acres of property at the industrial park for an undisclosed sum.

A spokesperson for Buffalo Rock said the move will not impact jobs in Birmingham and is part of the company’s ongoing $300 million infrastructure plan. The company in 2020 announced a central distribution center and office space off Lakeshore Drive in Birmingham and a $20 million facility in west Huntsville.

Buffalo Rock is the nation’s largest privately-held, family-owned Pepsi and Dr Pepper bottling company, with more than 2,100 employees and a reach that includes Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle. The company sells more than a billion containers of product each year.

Regional Vice President – Gulf Region John Isbell said the move will allow the company to better meet demand, while Chief Business Operations Officer Wayne Wisdom said it will also create logistical and operations efficiencies.