The popular German discount grocery chain, Aldi, has made a name for itself in the United States since it opened its first store in the Chicago suburb of Batavia in 1976, but so far its more than 1,200 stores are located in only 32 states throughout the Midwest and East Coast. In a recently released statement, the company confirmed that they now intend to expand westward, and according to city documents, it appears that Aldi will be opening a regional headquarter and distribution center in the Southern California town of Moreno Valley.
While it isn’t fully set in stone, Moreno Valley is confident that they will be the home to the new 935,000 square foot Aldi warehouse and offices, and is hoping to benefit from the revenue and jobs that would come along with it. The current plan is set to cost $55 million and will create more than 200 new jobs in an area that is still seeing above average unemployment at 9.2%.
“The company is anticipated to provide substantial economic benefits to the city and community through tax revenues and local expenditures by employees and corporate contracts,” Moreno Valley’s interim community and economic development director, John C. Terell, wrote in a report on the plans. “As a regional headquarters, the company would also provide the city greater exposure far beyond the city limits.”
Moreno Valley is also planning to launch a new incentive program, in time for Aldi to take advantage of, that would offer large industrial companies a 20% discount on utility rates for 18 years.
Aldi hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down in recent years, and with its new plans to head west, some estimates show the company planning to open 100 stores on the West Coast alone by 2015. So far Aldi has opened between 50 and 80 new stores in the United States every year.
Sources: LA Times, Retail Detail
Photo by brandon king via flickr
Article Source: GermanPulse
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