Carlisle will receive a needed job boost in the coming months.
Hillwood Investment Properties announced Tuesday in a news release that it has leased a logistics/distribution property of more than 600,000 square feet on Ritner Highway to a Wisconsin-based food manufacturer.
“We are pleased to welcome Bay Valley Foods to Carlisle 44 Trade Center,” said Hillwood Senior Vice President Gary Frederick, adding that at least 50 jobs are expected to be created.
Carlisle 44 Trade Center, once called Key Distribution Center, will be updated for Bay Valley Foods by Hillwood as part of the lease agreement.
Hillwood, a Perot company, will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, Frederick said.
Bay Valley, owned by TreeHouse Foods, is a producer of private label shelf stable food products for North American retail grocers.
Located on a 45.2-acre tract of land at 1700 Ritner Highway, the distribution center was constructed in 2007 by Higgins Development. It has sat vacant since then.
The building features 602,500 square feet of space, 32-feet-high ceilings, large dock doors and public utilities, and the property also features 328 parking spaces for automobiles and 199 trailer spaces.
There are also two access drives that connect the property to Ritner Highway. Both intersections are signalized.
How many jobs?
Ron Bottrell, spokesperson for Bay Valley, said it’s still too early to say exactly how many jobs will be created. Bay Valley officials are negotiating a contract with a third-party contractor that will handle employment.
Bottrell said the company will discuss job numbers once that deal is finalized.
“We’re probably still a couple weeks from during that,” he said.
However, Frederick said 50-plus jobs will likely be created at the facility.
Hillwood bought Carlisle 44 Trade Center last June.
Frederick said at the time it was purchased because of its close proximity to Interstate 81 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Approximately 100 million consumers reside within an eight-hour drive of Carlisle, while the area, including nearby Mechanicsburg, Harrisburg and Camp Hill, can provide a large labor force, Frederick added.
Frederick said Bay Valley too saw Carlisle as a prime location because of the nearby major highways.
“Bay Valley Foods was a natural fit for us, as both companies focused on the optimal logistics location in Carlisle. We are confident that our relationship will create opportunities for economic growth in the central Pennsylvania market,” Frederick said.