Industry Intelligence

Save-A-Lot broke ground Thursday on a 325,000-square-foot food distribution center in Lexington, N.C., that’s expected to open by December employ more than 40 employees.

With the potential for hiring additional employees once the facility is at full capacity, the project is a collaboration with the state of North Carolina and its One North Carolina Fund, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Davidson County and the city of Lexington.

“With this project, Save-A-Lot plans on investing more than $24 million in Lexington over the next three years,” said Bill Shaner, Save-A-Lot president and CEO. “We chose Lexington for our new distribution center because of its excellent business climate, central location and industrious workforce. For the state of North Carolina and the surrounding region, it means economic growth and jobs. I believe this will be a wonderful partnership for Save-A-Lot, Lexington and the region.”

Save-A-Lot operates more than 1,200 stores in 39 states, and has identified plans to double the number of stores it operates nationally over the next five years. Currently, there are 24 Save-A-Lot stores in North Carolina, including one in Lexington, with plans to open an additional three stores in by March, as well as two additional stores in South Carolina. The new distribution center will help support the company’s growth plans in North Carolina and the surrounding area, which the company has identified as a key region for growth.

The new center will help Save-A-Lot supply its growing network of grocery stores, which offer consumers significant savings and conveniences. Compared with traditional grocery stores, the stores provide customers with everyday savings of up to 40 percent on their primary grocery needs. The stores carry approximately 1,200 to 1,500 of the most popular, in-demand products, as well as the company’s own exclusive label brands.

In addition to supporting Save-A-Lot stores and future growth in the region, the new state-of-the-art food distribution center will feature the latest in green technologies for the most efficient use of energy, including lights that only operate when a person is present and an HVAC system with smart thermostats.

Save-A-Lot, a Supervalu company, is a hard-discount grocery chain operating nearly 1,200 stores in 39 states from Maine to California.