FORT WORTH, TEXAS —Ben E. Keith Foods is planning to build a 425,000-sq.-ft. food service distribution center in New Brockton, Ala.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in December, with a completion date by December 2021. The new facility will be designed to accommodate future expansion up to 1 million square feet and will create 80 new jobs over the next five years, the company said.

Ben E. Keith Foods is planning to expand the manufacturing facilities at Kelley Foods, located in Elba, Ala.

“When we acquired Kelley Foods in 2016, we saw it as our gateway to expand in the Southeast to better serve new and existing customers and to uncover new opportunities,” said Mike Sweet, president of Ben E. Keith Foods. “We are deeply committed to the communities of Alabama in which we live, work and serve, and we look forward to many more years of shared success.”