IRIS USA, an international manufacturer and distributor of injection-molded plastic organizational products for the home, office, craft & hobby and pets will soon begin construction on a 500,000 square-foot building in CAN DO’s Humboldt Industrial Park East which, when completed, will create nearly 100 new jobs.

500OakRidgeCAN DO, Inc., Greater Hazleton’s economic development corporation, has purchased a 90,000 square-foot industrial building in Humboldt Industrial Park and plans on marketing the building to potential tenants.

The building at 500 Oak Ridge Road is being added to CAN DO’s portfolio of more than one half million square feet that it currently leases to companies throughout its three industrial parks and the CAN DO Corporate Center in Drums.

Prior to purchasing the property from First Quality Nonwovens, CAN DO’s rental properties were 100 percent occupied.

“By acquiring existing buildings, we position ourselves to have available rental space for companies that are looking for a location where they can locate quickly,” said Kevin O’Donnell, CAN DO’s president and CEO.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on Friday awarded an $625,617 grant from its Local Share Account (LSA) program to Hazle Township to help fund Phase 2 of a project to improve traffic congestion and safety concerns at two intersections in Humboldt Industrial Park.

The funding is part of a $1.8 million project to increase the turning radius for commercial truck traffic and add turning lanes at the intersection of Forest Road and Maplewood Drive, and at the intersection of Maplewood Drive and White Birch Road.