GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In the first of its $400 million dollar investment, Meijer has opened two new 192,000-square-foot supercenters in Evansville, IN, and Owensboro, KY. These new additions, as well as the other seven new locations the chain is planning, are expected to create 3,000 jobs across the retailer's six-state footprint.

"Investing in Evansville and Owensboro was an easy decision for us," explained company CEO, Hank Meijer. "We're excited to serve new friends and neighbors. We're looking forward to working with both communities and growing alongside the families of the tri-state area."

Each new 24-hour-a-day store will include more than 600 varieties of farm-fresh produce, according to a press release, as well as a bakery specializing in custom-decorated cakes, bread baked fresh four times daily, and a full-service meat department featuring fresh seafood, Certified Angus Beef and custom cuts of meat.

"Our teams have exceeded expectations every step of the way as we prepared for these openings," Meijer President, Rick Keyes, added. "Our No. 1 priority is to serve customers, so we're ready to provide our neighbors in Owensboro and Evansville the shopping experience they deserve."

As we’ve reported on previously, Meijer’s will be remodeling 32 locations on top of its nine store investment. The remaining seven Meijer supercenters are scheduled for 2016 in the following locations:

• Indianapolis, IN
• Round Lake Beach, IL
• Flossmoor, IL
• Sturgis, MI
• Flat Rock, MI
• Sussex, WI
• Waukesha, WI

For more on Meijer’s expansion plans as it continues to develop in the Midwest, keep up with AndNowUKnow.

Meijer