Merchants Distributors Inc., a supplier of food and related items that supplies grocers, restaurants, and other food establishments, will invest more than $50 million to expand its distribution center in Hickory, North Carolina, according to the North Carolina governor's office. The company will add 200 jobs at an average annual salary of $51,123 plus benefits. "As our customer base continues to grow and diversify, we evaluated a number of options and locations to meet the growing demand," says Matt Saunders, MDI's president, "In the end, we have determined that expanding here in North Carolina was absolutely the right move for us." Incentives offered to the company include a grant from the state that could yield up to $2.82 million based on job creation over a 10-year period.