ARLINGTON, Va.— Lidl opened a regional headquarters and distribution center in Cecil County, Maryland on Tuesday.

The company said the 700,000 square-foot facility will serve as the backbone of its regional store network, supplying products to stores in five states. Lidl invested more than $100 million in the project which will create more than 200 new full-time jobs.

“As we work hard to meet the surging needs of our customers during this critical time, we are thrilled to open our newest regional distribution center in Cecil County, Maryland,” Lidl US chief executive officer Johannes Fieber said in a statement. “The facility will allow us to efficiently deliver our award-winning products to thousands of customers from Maryland to New York and support our expansion across the region. We thank Governor Hogan and local leaders for their tireless support leading up to today.”

Lidl US recently said that employees enrolled in company insurance plans, including those at the new regional distribution center, will be offered medical benefits covering testing and treatment related to COVID-19 at no cost. Lidl, which announced plans on March 26 to hire up to 1,000 temporary workers, said it also provides medical benefits for all full and part-time employees, regardless of the number of hours they work per week.

Elected officials in Maryland applauded the news about the facility’s opening.

“Maryland is proud to support Lidl’s new regional distribution center, which will create 200 new jobs when they are needed the most and enable the company to more efficiently deliver their high-quality products throughout the region at a time when demand is at an all-time high,” governor Larry Hogan said. “We also commend Lidl’s commitment to providing all employees with health insurance as well as COVID-19 testing and treatment, which is critical to fighting this global pandemic.”

Cecil County executive De. Alan McCarthy said the county was proud to have been chosen as the site of the regional distribution center. “During this critical time, Lidl should also be commended for protecting the health of its workforce by providing comprehensive medical coverage they need.”

Lidl, which first established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Va., in June 2015, now operates more than 95 stores in nine East Coast states.