Greater Hazleton continues to rank as one of the top industrial development markets in the country because of its immediate access to several major interstate highways, dedicated workforce and utility infrastructure.
That reputation, along with the fact that land development approvals were already in place for the site, was a deciding factor in MRP Industrial’s recent sale of a 91.5-acre site in Humboldt Industrial Park to a manufacturing company.
MRP Industrial Principal Matt Clymer said that tenants continuously place Greater Hazleton in their site selection process, especially because they find sites with land development approvals in place and that makes constructing a building a more efficient process.
“Tenants that we speak with now include Greater Hazleton on every major regional distribution center site selection process. They firmly believe that the access to the major interstate systems, combined with the labor and infrastructure, provide an incredible platform to move quickly with their site selection process and, ultimately, increase their speed to market.”
Clymer added that Pennsylvania has experienced unprecedented growth over the past 10 years and tenants continue to inquire about sites in Greater Hazleton.
“As some of the earliest developed submarkets began to see limited opportunities for additional development, tenants expanded their search criteria along the major interstates with a focus on transportation ease and labor availability. Northeast PA, and Greater Hazleton in particular, are unmatched in this regard,” he said. “The abundant labor force with a reputation for great work ethic has long drawn manufacturing and other industries to the area. Beyond that, the readily available utilities and roadway system in Humboldt Industrial Park were properly designed for the growth within the park and differentiated Humboldt from other industrial development opportunities both within Greater Hazleton as well as Northeast PA.”
In addition to Greater Hazleton being a prime location for development, Clymer said that working with CAN DO and other local officials has been an asset to MRP Industrial’s development work in the region.
“CAN DO was incredibly helpful and welcoming from the first visit as we tried to familiarize ourselves with the community and development opportunities it offered. CAN DO’s intimate knowledge of everything businesses would focus on during the site selection process made it clear to us that they would be an invaluable asset during our process,” he said. “CAN DO’s master planned development made for a relatively easy entitlement process in Humboldt Industrial Park. The local municipality, Hazle Township, was welcoming from day one and were a pleasure to work with on approvals.”
When working on its latest project in Humboldt, Clymer said MRP Industrial found that the site’s layout “provided great flexibility for tenants with multiple points of access, full building circulation and abundant auto and trailer parking” and sold the site to a tenant within a year of the first inquiry.
Clymer added that MRP Industrial looks forward to continuing its longstanding relationship with CAN DO. “The CAN DO team are among the most professional business development organizations I’ve ever worked with. Their depth of understanding of tenant needs really allows them to present the crucial information important to prospects. When you’ve only got a few minutes with a prospect on a multi-site or multi-state tour, the first impression is critical and theirs is unmatched,” he said.
