LAKELAND, Fla. -- The corporate headquarters of the popular Pub Sub is expanding.
Publix Supermarkets announced an expansion of its headquarters in Lakeland that includes 700 new jobs.
Publix CEO and President Todd Jones, Gov. Rick Scott and Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz were on hand for the Thursday afternoon announcement.
Publix said the expansion will add 190,000 square feet of office space to the current 320,000 square foot facility. Construction is planned to start in late 2019. The building was constructed in 2001.
With the additional jobs, the number of people working in the company's headquarters will increase from 800 to 1,400.
The grocery chain that operates in seven states in the Southeast is expected to make the announcement at 9 a.m. Scott is scheduled to talk about Florida jobs at Publix's Lakeland headquarters Thursday afternoon.
Publix was founded in 1930 and opened its first store in Winter Haven. It's the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the country and employs more than 190,000 people.
Florida has the highest number of stores with 793. Publix retail sales reached $34.6 billion in 2017.
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