Supermarket giant Kroger Co., which widened its footprint in the D.C. area with the January acquisition of Harris Teeter for $2.5 billion, says it will be hiring 20,000 workers across its store divisions.

“Kroger’s growth trajectory creates more job opportunities for current and future employees,” said Katy Barclay, Kroger’s senior vice president of human resources, in a statement Friday.

And that will include in the D.C. region, where Kroger’s Harris Teeter imprint is widespread with dozens of supermarkets — and more to come. Harris Teeter markets have anchored dozens of new developments in Northern Virginia and the District in recent years, with more in the pipeline.

Executives with the nation’s largest supermarket chain said in May they are looking to expand Harris Teeter’s hold on the D.C. and Baltimore markets.

Kroger (NYSE: KR) operates 2,640 supermarkets and multidepartment stores in 34 states and has 375,000 employees, including 25,000 in its Harris Teeter division.