HAZLETON, PA-Tech Packaging, Inc., a contract packaging firm based in Jacksonville, FL, is building a facility that will handle about $15 million in inventory a year here in the rapidly expanding Humboldt Industrial Park.
The company expects to open the new 223,200-square-foot facility by next spring. Tech Packaging, which also operates a facility in Berwick, plans to hire 95 workers for the Hazleton plant.
The company provides packaging services that include shrink wrapping, over-wrapping, blister packs and clamshells; also, repacking, relabeling and date coding services. Its clients include household names such as PepsiCo, Frito Lay, Del Monte, Unilever, Ocean Spray and Kellogg's.
Company president Bob Janes said the Hazleton area was chosen mostly because of its logistical advantages, expecially the proximity to Interstates 81 and 80. “Since our company has been experiencing such a large volume of growth, we wanted a bigger location,” said Janes. “The size of this building will be advantageous for our company and lead to cost savings for our customers.”
The Governor's Action Team and other business groups also helped sell the site to Tech Packaging, offering various types of assistance in a very competitive regional market. On Wednesday, Jones Lang LaSalle reported that more than half of the 5 million square feet of industrial space currently under construction in neighboring New Jersey is being driven by state incentive programs.
The project is expected to generate a capital investment of $12.4 million in infrastructure, equipment and employee training costs, according to Pennsylvania authorities.
“Tech Packaging, Inc. is injecting a big boost into the northeast Pennsylvania economy and creating 95 new jobs,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett.
“The cooperation of local officials was once again key to the success of this project and will help spur the economy and create jobs,” said Kevin O'Donnell, president of the state's CAN DO program. “This also displays the importance of continuing our relationships with private developers such as Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services in order to bring more projects to the area.”
Mericle is developing the 223,200-square-foot industrial building off Oak Ridge Road, on a site adjacent to the Amazon.com center. The Tech Packaging building will be the 13th constructed by Mericle in Humboldt Industrial Park. Bob Besecker coordinated the real estate transaction on behalf of Mericle.
“Since our excavation team is already working in Humboldt on other projects, we are able to quickly transition to the Tech Packaging site and meet their deadline to have their building ready for occupancy by next March,” said Besecker.
Tech Packaging was represented by Matthew Marshall and Jerry McGarry of Cresa Philadelphia. Jim Bob Taylor of Cresa's Atlanta office
State Sen. John Yudichak said about the deal that, “While our region's unemployment rate remains high, these frustrating economic numbers are starting to turn around because of the investment great new businesses like Tech Packaging are making.”
CAN DO's Joseph Lettiere said the project complements the growth of the food-processing sector in Greater Hazleton. “Having one of the country's leading packaging companies in Humboldt may assist our marketing efforts as we continue to focus on the recruitment of major food companies to the Hazleton area,” he said.
Within the past year, these companies have completed projects or announced moves to the park: PECO Pallet, E.S. Kluft and Company, GENCO, PRO-CON and American Eagle Outfitters. With Tech Packaging, the companies will occupy 2 million square feet of industrial space.
The project was coordinated by the Governor's Action Team, a group of economic development professionals who work directly with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania, in collaboration with CAN DO.
Tech Packaging, Inc. received a funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development including a $250,000 Pennsylvania First Program grant and a $42,750 Guaranteed Free Training grant that will be used to train its new workforce.
In addition to its Berwick location, Tech Packaging operates facilities in Rancho Cucamonga, CA., and Orlando, FL.
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