Wegmans Food Markets, a grocery retailer with stores throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, will invest $175 million to establish a full-service, regional distribution operation in Hanover County, Virginia. The project is expected to create 700 new jobs.

The new campus will allow the company to expand its distribution network on the East Coast and accommodate its growing retail footprint. The announcement follows a recent domestic marketing mission where Gov. Ralph Northam met with Wegmans real estate and development officials at the company’s headquarters in Rochester, NY.

“It’s a significant win when a business decides to create 700 full-time, well-paid jobs, and we are proud that a company of Wegmans’ stature has chosen to establish its major new operation in Hanover County,” said Northam. “Virginia is a world-class transportation and logistics hub, and the location of this campus will greatly enhance Wegmans’ fast-growing East Coast distribution network. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Wegmans officials to discuss ways we can strengthen our partnership, and I look forward to the company’s continued success in the commonwealth.

“This site has the right combination of everything we were looking for in terms of proximity to our stores and workforce and is located in a commonwealth that we have partnered with for many years,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Colleen Wegman. “Once it’s up and running, this facility will allow us to deliver products to our southern-most stores with increased speed and freshness and will help support our growth well into the future.”