JENKINS TOWNSHIP, PA. — Ball Corp. plans to invest $360 million to acquire Interstate Distribution Center in Jenkins Township and retrofit the facility as an aluminum beverage packaging plant. The asset comprises nearly 1.1 million square feet and Ball will employ 230 employees at the plant when it begins production, which is slated for mid-2021.
According to local newspaper Times Leader, the property is located at 140 Industrial Drive, between Interstates 81 and 476 and eight miles north of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Endurance Real Estate Group built the asset in 2019.
The property features 40-foot clear heights, 108 loading docks, two drive-in doors, 421 car parking spaces and 129 trailer parking spaces.
“Ball Corp. has a longstanding presence in the international marketplace, and Pennsylvania is pleased with the company’s commitment to expand its manufacturing facilities in the northeast,” says Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.
The project will generate more than $16 million in new employment payroll annually, according to the governor’s office. The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) offered up to $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project (RACP) funding to be distributed upon the creation of the new jobs, as well as $400,000 in funding for workforce development training.
Based in Broomfield, Colorado, Ball manufactures aluminum packaging for beverage, personal care and household products, and provides aerospace and other technologies for commercial and government customers.
— Alex Tostado