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ARLINGTON, Va. — Lidl, a Germany-based discount supermarket chain, has broken ground on its new regional headquarters and distribution center in Spotsylvania County.
Lidl, a Germany-based discount supermarket chain, has broken ground on its new regional headquarters and distribution center in Spotsylvania County.
A group of Virginia elected officials and business and community leaders joined Lidl U.S. vice presidents Payton Reid and Christoph Hettinger at a ceremony earlier this month at the 82-acre site. The $125 million facility is expected to create 200 jobs in the state and open no later than 2018.
"We chose Spotsylvania not just for its central location, but also for its talented workforce and economic vitality," Brendan Proctor, president and chief executive officer of Lidl U.S., said in a statement.
Lidl, one of the largest retailers in the world, operates nearly 10,000 stores in 26 countries throughout Europe. The discount store has been described as a hybrid of Walmart and Trader Joe’s, and by all accounts it seems poised to experience enormous growth in the U.S. The German discounter offers an array of products, including groceries, furniture, appliances and clothing. The size of the stores, according to Lidl, is expected to be similar to that of Walmart’s Neighborhood Markets.
In addition to the Spotsylvania facility, Lidl will soon open the company’s U.S. headquarters in Arlington County.
In total, Lidl is investing more than $200 million in its operations in Virginia, and the company has pledged to create a total of 700 new jobs in the state by 2018.
"As one of the leading European retailers, we are happy Lidl chose Virginia as its gateway to the United States," Maurice Jones, Virginia secretary of commerce and trade, said in a statement.
The state provided incentives to secure the project. State incentives included $5 million in grants from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and $2 million from the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant program. The Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors also approved a $9.7 million incentive package for Lidl. Those incentives include an up-front payment of $1.4 million from the county.
