“We are actively pursuing sites along the east coast of the U.S., from Pennsylvania and New Jersey down to Georgia,” John Froman, a spokesperson for Lidl US, told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview last month.
Yesterday, the company announced that it will open a $100m regional HQ and distribution center in Cecil County, MD, bringing in 100 new jobs, slated to open no later than 2018.
“We are excited to announce a new hub of operations for Lidl US in Maryland,” said Brendan Proctor, President and CEO of Lidl US, in a press release. “This facility is an important step in building an efficient infrastructure that will allow us to deliver outstanding quality goods to our customers at the lowest possible prices. We selected Cecil County not only because it offers a central location for our distribution network, but also because it will be a great place for our employees to work and live.”
“We look forward to being part of this community and introducing residents in the area to a unique shopping experience that will be unlike anything else in the market. We thank Governor Larry Hogan, as well as leaders in Cecil County, for their support throughout this process,” he added.
The Maryland facility adds to a list of planned regional headquarters and distribution centers that will dot the Atlantic states: Spotsylvania County, VA, and Alamance County, NC. The company’s US operation is headquartered in Arlington County, VA, just outside of Washington D.C.
So far, the company has mostly been quiet about when its first stores will open, but its baby-steps are being closely watched by grocery retailers, as experts argue that Lidl’s stateside presence is poised to shake up the grocery retail landscape.