Smithfield Foods Inc. is opening a new distribution center in Cecil County, Md., creating 240 new jobs. The 420,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility will be constructed in the Principio Business Park, which will allow the company to better support its daily operations and improve service to its customers in the Northeast.

“This new distribution center is an essential part of our efforts to streamline our national logistics network to optimize our operations, while advancing our ambitious sustainability goals,” said Kenneth Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. “We are proud to become part of the business community in Maryland, a location that provides strategic advantages for our business and improves our ability to provide high-quality product to our customers and consumers.”

Based in Smithfield, Va. for more than 80 years, Smithfield Foods offers multiple market-leading brands in numerous packaged meats categories in the U.S. With more than 54,000 employees worldwide, the company has farms, facilities, and offices throughout the U.S. and Europe.

“It is a tremendous win for the state and for Cecil County that a global company like Smithfield Foods, which has worldwide brand recognition, has chosen to continue its growth in Maryland,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. “This new facility and the 240 new jobs it brings underscores our administration’s promise to make Maryland more business friendly and create job opportunities for our citizens.”