Aldi Sets Up HQ, Distribution Center in Virginia

By Scott Baltic, Contributing Editor

Aldi store at 1776 N. Parham Road in Henrico County, Va.

Richmond, Va.—Grocery chain Aldi will be building a $57 million division headquarters and 500,000-square-foot distribution facility in Dinwiddie County, Va., just south of Richmond, it was announced Tuesday by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration.

Aldi declined to provide additional information about the project, but the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the 80-acre site is located at U.S. 460 and U.S. 1, on land being purchased from First Management Co. of Petersburg, Va. (That location is about a half-mile from a large Amazon distribution center.) The Times-Dispatch also reported that the facility is expected to be in operation by the end of next year.

Aldi currently has 32 stores in Virginia and plans to open 60 more over the next five years, CEO Jason Hart said in a prepared statement.

A spokesperson for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership confirmed for Commercial Property Executive that the 145 jobs being touted for the project by state and local officials are in fact net, permanent, new jobs.

North Carolina reportedly had been competing for the project against Virginia, which provided substantial incentives, including a $450,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund (equally matched by Dinwiddie County) and $680,000 from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Aldi is also eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program and funding and services to support its employee training through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Aldi operates more than 1,500 stores in 34 states and is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the United States.

Virginians should be well fed, come what may, not least because in June of last year, another German grocery chain, Lidl, announced its $202 million plan to build a U.S. headquarters in Arlington County and a regional HQ and distribution center in Spotsylvania County (near Fredericksburg and roughly midway between Richmond and metro Washington, D.C.).

Lidl operates nearly 10,000 stores in 26 countries throughout Europe. It’s part of the Schwarz Group, Europe’s largest retailer and one of the largest in the world.

Image via Google Street View