Northeastern Pennsylvania native, Robert K. Mericle, had a vision of creating an industrial park with convenient access to all of the major commercial hubs of the Northeast. In 2005, Mericle’s vision became a reality.

Robert Mericle created CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park in 2005. Since then, CenterPoint has grown at a tremendous pace. Mericle has developed 6 million square feet of industrial and flex space on the park that houses 39 companies and 4,500 jobs. Mericle’s CenterPoint has solidified Northeastern Pennsylvania as a distribution and industrial hotspot along Interstate 81, dubbed the “I-81 Corridor.”

Mericle’s CenterPoint is home to companies such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Kimberly Clark, Corning Life Sciences, Men’s Warehouse, Benco Dental, Neiman Marcus, Greiner Packaging, United Sporting Companies, Fed-Ex Ground, and more.

“We are pleased with the number of prominent companies that have moved into CenterPoint,” said Mericle Vice President Jim Cummings. “We built CenterPoint in an ideal location for distribution and industrial operations. It is located in the center of the Boston/Washington Corridor, at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 476. CenterPoint is a two hour drive from both New York City and Philadelphia, which is a huge advantage to our tenants serving the Northeast.”

Many companies located within CenterPoint serve from Maine to Virginia and west to Ohio. For one company, British clothier Boden, their CenterPoint location is their only US distribution center, processing and shipping their customer’s orders from east to west coast. Boden searched locations in many states before choosing to base their U.S. operations along the I-81 Corridor, specifically Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Robert Mericle is a trendsetter. Since CenterPoint’s inception in 2005, the I-81 Corridor has quickly become an industrial mecca. In the time since Mericle first broke ground at CenterPoint, more than 15 million square feet, or about 20% of the total Class A and Class B bulk industrial space in the entire market, has been built.

Mericle, the largest private developer of industrial real estate along the I-81 Corridor, has developed more than 18 million square feet since 1985. An estimated 13,400 people work in the millions of square feet developed by Mericle.

Location is the most important aspect of real estate. Northeastern Pennsylvania, where Mericle’s properties are located, offers a prime location for businesses looking to serve the Northeast, East Coast, or the entire country. A close second, when deciding where to locate an industrial operation, is the quality and quantity of workforce in the region.

Northeastern Pennsylvania has a readily available, highly productive workforce that has long been known for its work ethic.

“Northeastern Pennsylvania is full of hardworking, dedicated people,” said Cummings. “I have heard countless stories from our tenants about the exceptional experiences they have had with the Northeastern Pennsylvania workforce. In fact, many managers have told me that they have never met harder working employees than their employees in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

The “I-81 Corridor” is quickly becoming one of the nation’s focal points for industrial and distribution operations. The region has a lot to offer, including its easily accessible location and strong workforce. Mericle is further solidifying the region’s position by continuously building industrial space, creating new jobs, and attracting national and international companies to move to the I-81 Corridor.

For more information about Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services and CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park, visit www.mericle.com.