Smithfield Foods, Inc., Smithfield, Va., announced plans to open 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 allows the company to better support its daily operations and improve service to 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,” says Kenneth Sullivan, president and CEO. “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.”