Meisels tells GlobeSt.com that finding the facility for Lancaster had not been easy given its requirements and geographic constraints--and that was without an additional green mandate. "This was an expansion for Lancaster; they have an existing warehouse located around the corner from where they eventually wound up, which no longer was able to keep up with its capacity demands."

Among the company's requirements: a building within a five mile radius of the current location, certain specifications regarding clear height, enough space for outside storage with trailers, the potential for rail services, and a minimum 200,000 sf that had the ability to expand.

The new property is situated on 24 acres and provides a great deal of flexibility regarding outside storage needs, Meisels says. "We were very lucky--there are not a lot of buildings that meet these specifications here."

Even fewer are LEED certified, he adds, although demand for LEED certification is starting to come up more and more in the submarket and surrounding area. LEED certification makes sense for Lancaster given its produce and floral business line, he says.

Company president John Gates points to the health and environmental reasons as factors as well. "Now we have the chance to certify ourselves as a leader in the region and the industry," he says.