US Foods will nearly double its space in Prince William County

US Foods, one of the country’s largest foodservice distributors, is expanding in Prince William County.  With the help of local and state incentives, it will renovate and add on to an existing distribution center at 11994 Livingston Road in Manassas.

The company plans a 220,000-square-foot expansion, which would bump the distribution center’s total space to 466,000 square feet. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.  US Foods did not disclose an investment figure for the expansion.

The company, which already employs 500 people at the facility, plans to hire another 100 workers during the next three to five years.

According to Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Virginia was selected for the expansion after a review of more than five undisclosed states.

“This important project was very competitive, and we are proud that major companies continue to recognize the advantage of Virginia's strategic mid-Atlantic location and extensive transportation infrastructure,” McAuliffe said in a statement.

Prince William County is within a day’s drive to five of the 10 largest MSAs on the East Coast  (New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Boston).

Currently US Foods employs 900 employees in Virginia across operations in Manassas and Salem. “The commonwealth’s booming distribution industry has a direct economic output of more than $11 billion, and we’re confident Virginia will continue to be a prime location for US Foods,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore.

Jim Sturgell, area president for Metro D.C., US Foods, said in a statement that the expansion would allow the company to “strengthen our presence and leadership in this market and continue to provide exceptional service to our growing Virginia customer base.”

According to the company, it works with about 250,000 chefs, restaurants, and foodservice operators, providing food offerings and a suite of e-commerce, technology, and business solutions.

Based in Rosemont, Ill., US Foods generates about $23 billion in annual revenue. Altogether, it has 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations.

Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors approved an agreement between US Foods and the county Industrial Development Authority that assigns a $350,000 grant towards the construction of a new facility and purchase of new equipment from the County’s Economic Development Opportunity Fund.

McAuliffe also approved a $350,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.