Hy-Vee, Inc., an industry leading grocery retailer with 235 stores in eight states, announced plans for a major expansion of its Minnesota operations into the Twin Cities market. Hy-Vee has been a fixture in Minnesota communities since 1969 and currently has 17 employee-owned stores statewide with approximately 5,100 employees.

"Our commitment to excellent customer service, health and wellness, and culinary expertise is unlike anything in the market to date," said Randy Edeker, Chairman, CEO and President of Hy-Vee, Inc. "Minnesota and its residents have long been important partners, and we are proud to extend that partnership into the Twin Cities area."

The proposed expansion would add several new stores to the Twin Cities market per year, over the next several years. Each store opened will be approximately 90,000-square foot, with an investment of approximately $14-16 million, creating anywhere from 400-550 new jobs.

Hy-Vee is an employee-owned retail corporation dedicated to providing shoppers with quality products and service offerings. Hy-Vee stores emphasize freshness, wellness, variety and one-stop shopping convenience. Store amenities often include: Market Grill or Market Cafe with sit-down, wait-staffed service; pharmacies with drive-up windows; in-store dietitians and wellness department; floral design and shop; certified wine, beer and spirit specialists; specialty cheese and artisan bread; in-store chefs and cooking demonstration stations; and dry cleaning and postal services.

The company has one location under contract in the Twin Cities area, with several more projects in various stages of research and development.

Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 235 retail stores in eight Midwestern states. For 2013 the company recorded sales of $8 billion, ranking it among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. To learn more, please visit the company's website, www.hy-vee.com.