LAKELAND, FL – Publix has plans to aggressively grow its presence in North Carolina. The retailer has announced six new stores to be opened in the Charlotte area in the next year, with an additional 12 to follow in 2018.

“We’re not looking to slow down,” said Kim Reynolds, Publix Media and Community Relations Manager, in the Charlotte Business Journal. “We are here to grow.

The combined 18 new locations will more than double Publix’s footprint in the state.

“We still see lots of room for growth here,” noted Reynolds. “Our folks on the ground are always looking at potential sites. Certainly more announcements will come. There’s certainly still an opportunity for people who haven’t shopped with us to get to know us.”

Currently, Publix employs 3,600 people in North Carolina, the bulk of which—roughly 2,550 jobs—are located in and around Charlotte.

The company is fairly new to the region. Publix introduced stores in South Carolina in 2012, and only expanded into North Carolina in February of 2014, opening a flagship store in Ballantyne. Early in 2016, the company announced plans to expand into Richmond, Virginia, and the Charlotte Business Journal reports unconfirmed rumors of an additional store opening in uptown Charlotte.

What’s next for the dynamic and ever-expanding retailer? Check in with AndNowUKnow for updates as they happen.

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