Feb 1, 2008 9:16 AM

Officials with discount grocer ALDI were joined by Haines City FL Mayor Philip Hinkle and the Haines City Economic Development Council at the groundbreaking for the company’s Florida headquarters and distribution center. The facilities will support 25 new stores opening in central Florida in fall 2008 and employ about 100 people.

The $40 million, 500,000-square-foot distribution center will service stores in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Orlando areas that will begin opening in September. On average, jobs for ALDI’s headquarters and distribution center locations will pay more than 125 percent of a typical Polk County-area job.

ALDI saves consumers up to 50 percent on 90 percent of their purchases through business practices such as having shoppers bring or purchase recyclable bags and use a cart deposit system.

Based in Germany, ALDI entered the United States market in 1976 and has nearly 900 stores in 26 states from Kansas to the East Coast.