DINWIDDIE COUNTY, VA - Aldi has announced plans to build a divisional headquarters and a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Virginia’s Richmond-area Dinwiddie County. The project will reportedly cost around $57 million and employ 400.

“The access to qualified and capable employees and transportation options first attracted us to this location, but it was the integrity and positive attitude of the Dinwiddie County leaders that truly won us over,” shared Aldi CEO, Jason Hart, in a statement.

Aldi is not the first retailer who has set its eyes on the Richmond, Virgina area. Lidl, also based in Germany, announced last year that it will put its American headquarters in Arlington County and open a distribution center in Spotsylvania County. Retailers Amazon.com, Supervalu, Walmart, and Food Lion all currently have distribution centers nearby, with Harris Teeter announcing plans to build one soon.

As reported by the Richmond-Times Dispatch, Aldi currently has 32 stores in Virginia, with plans to open up to 60 more in the next five years.

Construction is expected to begin in 2017 on the first phase of the center that is expected to employ 400 people, with Tammie J. Collins, Dinwiddie's Deputy County Administrator for Planning and Community Development commenting that Aldi has plans to open before that year is out.

How else will Virginia’s thriving retail distribution hub develop in the coming months? AndNowUKnow will keep bringing you all the latest updates.

Aldi US