GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General officials were joined earlier this month by local dignitaries, including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), at a grand opening ceremony for the retailer’s 14th distribution center, in Ryan’s hometown of Janesville, Wis.

Dollar General invested about $100 million in the facility, creating more than 500 local jobs, according to the company.

“Dollar General is excited to celebrate the grand opening of our Janesville distribution center, and it is an honor to welcome Speaker Ryan to our facility as well as state and local leaders who supported this project,” commented Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “We have built a strong team in Janesville, and this new facility strengthens our distribution network and our ability to serve customers. We are delighted to have a strong presence in Wisconsin and look forward to a long-standing partnership with the community as we continue to focus on our mission of serving others.”

Construction began on the approximately 1 million-square-foot facility in November 2015, and shipping from the facility began in January. The Janesville distribution center serves about 800 stores in nine states in the upper Midwest. With the completion of the project, Dollar General now has more than 1,300 employees in Wisconsin, and more than 130 stores.