A home meal delivery company plans to open a distribution and packaging center in DeKalb County in a move that will bring more than 1,200 jobs to the metro area by 2020, according to a state news release.

Home Chef, among a burgeoning market of meal and grocery delivery services, will open a 140,000-square-foot operations center along Lithonia Industrial Boulevard, the news release said. The center will package and deliver home meal kits with fresh ingredients.

The subscription service, which already serves the Atlanta area, creates menus for customers to make 30-minute meals. Home Chef also sells cooking supplies and house ware products.

“We’re undergoing tremendous growth and are excited to expand our distribution footprint,” Pat Vihtelic, Home Chef founder and CEO, said in the release. “The culture of collaboration makes Georgia the ideal location for us today and tomorrow. We’re confident that DeKalb has the skilled workforce necessary for us to achieve our ambitious growth goals.”

The move will be jobs boost to southern DeKalb County and would rank as the largest individual jobs expansion in DeKalb since October 2014 when Acuity Brands announced an expansion of its technology operations in the Decatur area and in Rockdale County.

“Home Chef is among the many innovative companies using Georgia’s high-performing transportation infrastructure to grow their distribution network,” Gov. Nathan Deal said in the release. “By establishing this new facility and utilizing the state’s skilled workforce, Home Chef will be able to reach more of the Southeastern market and meet the needs of a growing customer base. I look forward to the company’s continued investment and growth in our state.”

The company delivered more than 1 million meals last year, the release said.

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