M S International, Inc. (MSI), the Orange, California-based supplier of flooring, countertops, wall tile, and hardscaping products, broke ground to build a new 548,000-square-foot distribution center in Suffolk, VA. The project will take approximately 20 months to complete and will result in the addition of at least 80 new jobs.

This state-of-the-art facility will focus on distributing flooring, countertop, wall tile, and hardscaping products throughout the region that are imported through the port of Norfolk. MSI's other existing Virginia locations include Dulles, Richmond and Virginia Beach which will continue to focus largely on those specific metropolitan markets.

“This new hub distribution center will dramatically improve our long-term distribution capabilities across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest,” said Rup Shah, president of MSI. “In addition, we are very impressed with The Port of Virginia and its continued investments to insure a smooth flow of goods. Finally, both the high-quality workforce in the region combined with a very business-friendly environment were both major contributing factors to our decision.”