NFI, a leading supply chain company headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Hillwood, a top commercial real estate investor and developer, are pleased to announce that ground has been broken on a distribution site in the Lehigh Valley, providing new warehousing in a critical distribution market on the East Coast.
NFI, a warehouse, transportation, distribution, and logistics provider, will be the tenant for a new 980,000 sq. ft. facility to be constructed by Hillwood in Weisenberg Township. This building will be used as the future distribution center for Ocean Spray Cranberries, a worldwide food and beverage cooperative.
NFI CEO Sid Brown remarked, “We’re delighted to grow our existing relationship with Ocean Spray and to be a part of its development.”
Brown added, “NFI is proud to be a part of this exciting project and expand our footprint in the Lehigh Valley. The investment of time, money, and resources by NFI, the Hillwood Group, and Ocean Spray is a true testament to the value of collaboration between stakeholders and the need for expansion in the Allentown area.”
Eastern Pennsylvania, specifically the Lehigh Valley, is a critical growth market for the warehousing, transportation, and distribution industries. Brown noted “The highway infrastructure provides easy access to several large metropolitan cities including New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore. NFI targeted this area to grow our business, and over the past 6 months we have expanded in the area by completing this transaction along with leasing 254,000 SF at 910 Nestle Way in Breinigsville, PA.”
The Allentown area distribution site marks the first in a series of buildings to be developed by Hillwood at West Hills Business Center. Approximately 2.3 million square feet of Class A warehouse/distribution space is planned. The 230-acre site has immediate access to I-78 at Exit #45 and is proximate to the North East extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Gary Frederick, Senior Vice President – Northeast Market Officer, has managed Hillwood’s expansion into the Pennsylvania and the Northeast industrial market over the past 11 years. Frederick commented “Lehigh Valley is among the top industrial markets in the US; NFI and Hillwood are well positioned at West Hills Business Center to provide strategic logistics solutions to cover the entire Northeast US. For Hillwood, the NFI relationship provides the ideal kick-off for entry into the Lehigh Valley market.
The NFI building features nearly one million square feet of energy-efficient warehouse space, Class A concrete tilt wall construction, cross-dock load configuration, and an ESFR fire sprinkler system within a business park setting.
Ocean Spray is the first customer to contract with NFI at this location. Interested parties should contact Bill Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Sales, to learn more about occupancy – 630-546-3847.
About NFI -- NFI is a fully integrated supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue and employs nearly 6,700 associates. NFI owns facilities globally and operates in excess of 20 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Its company-owned fleet consists of over 2,000 tractors and 7,000 trailers, operated by more than 2,500 company drivers and 250 Owner-Operators. Its business lines include logistics, distribution, warehousing, intermodal, real estate and solar services. For more information about NFI visit www.nfiindustries.com, or call 1-877-NFI-3777.
About Hillwood -- Hillwood, a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate investors and developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. Hillwood’s developments currently house facilities for more than 85 companies listed on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. Hillwood is best known for its Alliance brand that includes the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas, 4,474-acre AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center, and 2,000-acre AllianceCalifornia. For additional information, please visit www.hillwoodinvestmentproperties.com.
About Ocean Spray -- Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry and grapefruit growers in the United States, Canada, and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world’s leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries, and is the best-selling brand in the bottled juice category. The cooperative’s cranberries are currently featured in more than 1,000 great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 50 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. In fiscal year 2012, Ocean Spray posted record-high gross sales of $2.2 billion and net proceeds of $338 million.