<p>Meijer has revealed rapid growth plans to expand its footprint into Wisconsin. Co-CEO Hank Meijer anticipates that the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer will open 10 to 12 stores a year, with a large portion of those locations to be in Wisconsin, according to a Milwaukee Business Journal story. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“We expect to concentrate a lot of our expansion the next few years in Wisconsin,” Meijer noted. “Milwaukee ought to be able to support a dozen stores, but whether we will find a dozen sites in short order is another question.” </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Meijer’s rapid expansion plans for Wisconsin is a new initiative for the company, the report notes. “It’s a commitment to the metro area to build what for us is a lot of stores in a short time,” Meijer, stated.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Meijer also reflected that the company’s acquisition of a former Supervalu distribution center in Pleasant Prairie is critical to Meijer’s plans. Meijer’s plans include stores in Greenfield and Janesville over the next two years in addition to other locations. The retailer currently operates 204 stores in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>This expansion begs the question, how will this mid-West expansion affect a market that includes players like Roundy’s Inc., Sendik’s Food Markets, Woodman Food Markets as well as Target and Walmart?</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.meijer.com/content/corporate.jsp?pageName=company" target="_new"> Meijer</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
