Trader Joe’s Building Distribution Center in Southern California

Trader Joe’s is making big moves in California, getting ready to construct its largest logistics facility to date in the Golden State. The 1-million-square-foot food assembly and distribution center will be located in Palmdale, within Los Angeles County, and is expected to employ 800 to 1,000 people when it opens late next year, according to a local report.

The project site in Palmdale is 104 acres, and Trader Joe’s will build an 827,000-square-foot hub building, along with a 211,000-square-foot freezer facility and a 6,000-square-foot accessory building. Construction is set to begin in December and be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.

[Read more: "Shoppers Buy Into Trader Joe’s Unique Proposition"]

The new facility will support the grocer’s stores throughout Southern California, and the project will also include a 12.2-acre Joshua tree preservation area.

In February, Trader Joe’s began work on another food assembly and distribution center in Franklin, Ky., which is expected to open this fall.That distribution center will have three buildings dedicated to the assembly and distribution of Trader Joe’s ready-made food items.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based retailer also recently celebrated a store opening in Cypress, Calif., southeast of Los Angeles in Orange County. Another store is set to open near Sarasota, Fla., later this year.

Meanwhile, effective July 2, and in line with the end of the company’s fiscal year, Trader Joe’s CEO and Chairman Dan Bane will retire from his position. Bryan Palbaum, current president and COO, will become the chairman and CEO, with Jon Basalone being promoted to the role of vice-CEO and president.

With more than 500 stores in 40-plus states, the California-based Trader Joe’s is No. 27 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company as one of its Retailers of the Century.