The Packaging Wholesalers, one of the nation’s largest suppliers of packaging materials to the supply chain industry, announced its plans to open a distribution center on a site at 63 Green Mountain Round in Humboldt Industrial Park West. The property is owned by Mericle Commercial.

A grand opening is schedule for December 1. The Packaging Wholesalers will occupy 293,493 square feet to distribute corrugated boxes and shipping materials. The firm expects to hire more than 40 employees.

Humboldt Industrial Park is one of the largest industrial parks in Pennsylvania. The company made the decision to lease space at 63 Green Mountain Road to improve delivery lead times nationwide, especially to its customers on the east coast. The Packaging Wholesalers founder and owner Mike Hrbacek said the Humboldt Industrial Park facility gives his company access to I-81 and I-80.

“This building places us within three to four hours of the east coast’s population,” Hrbacek said. “The new warehouse and offices will support our cost-cutting technological advances to our patent pending delivered pricing program and will allow us to capitalize on aggressive pricing and quicker lead times through our nationally recognized tiered pricing program,” he said.

CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell said the economic development agency is excited that The Packaging Wholesalers chose Greater Hazleton for its newest distribution center and thanked Mericle Commercial Real Estate for completing the lease agreement. “Many companies have located to our area because of its strategic location to markets. We are also pleased that Mericle Commercial Real Estate has been successful in bringing yet another company to our community. Mericle has been a strong partner of CAN DO for many years,” O’Donnell said.

The Packaging Wholesalers is based in Elgin, Illinois, where it operates a 500,000 square foot corporate headquarters and distribution center and also has a 300,000 square foot distribution center in Dallas, Texas.