One of the nation’s leading sporting goods companies will open its largest U.S. distribution center in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park East, Jenkins Township.
United Sporting Companies (USC) of Chapin, South Carolina has leased a 198,400 square foot building at 100-124 Capital Road from Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services.
The Jenkins Township distribution center will employ industry leading technology and service customers formerly serviced by Jerry’s Northeast, located in Newington, CT, Bonitz Brothers, located in Harrisburg, PA and Jerry’s Sport Center, located in Forest City, PA.
USC will continue to operate its existing sales offices in Newington and Harrisburg while moving Jerry’s Forest City sales force to the Pittston location. Additionally, the company will be establishing a new sales office in California to better serve the western region.
Jerry’s Sports Center is a wholesale distributor of firearms, shooting accessories, hunting supplies and fishing equipment.
Mericle Vice President Jim Hilsher coordinated the real estate transaction along with Joseph McDermott of CB Richard Ellis, Wayne, Pennsylvania.
“We are pleased that Jerry’s Sports Center has chosen CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park East to expand its distribution capabilities,” said Hilsher. “The company had considered several states as well as sites in southeastern Pennsylvania for this expansion project so we are glad that we are able to play a role in keeping Jerry’s jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania as well as providing a platform for the company’s future growth,” he said.
The company is expected to occupy the building early this spring.
USC CEO Hewitt Grant stated, “Over the past six months, we have evaluated all aspects of our operations in order to realign our distribution footprint to support our growth while providing our customers faster and better service across the country. The new facility in Pittston (Jenkins Township) will also give us the ability to provide an improved range of fishing and marine products in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. These distribution centers will be equipped with the latest technology allowing us to drive order accuracy, picking efficiency and speed of delivery.”
The Capital Road facility was one of eight buildings constructed on speculation by Mericle in CenterPoint East since 2008. Those buildings total more than 1.3 million square feet and have been occupied by firms such as Benco Dental, Corning Inc., Cintas, and Safelite Auto Glass.
“Inquiries from companies needing space are on the increase so we are glad we made the decision to continue our speculative development program over the past several years,” said Hilsher.
USC is a distributor of hunting, outdoor, marine and tackle products. The company operates through two subsidiaries, Ellett Brothers and Jerry’s Sport Center which were founded in 1933 and 1949, respectively. USC distributes its products to all 50 states through facilities in Chapin, SC, Newberry, SC, Forest City, PA, Harrisburg, PA, Newington, CT, Dayton, OH and Spring Hill, KS. With the largest sales force in the industry, the company serves more than 30,000 independent retail customers and maintains the largest product selection in the industry with more than 85,000 SKUs.
USC will become the 25th company to move into CenterPoint. There are now 18 buildings in the park totaling approximately 5.3 million square feet. About 2,500 people work in CenterPoint.
Founded by Robert K. Mericle, Mericle Construction Inc. self-performs virtually all aspects of development and construction, using its own in-house personnel, Mericle Construction is better able to control costs and fast track delivery schedules to meet its clients’ needs. It fashions itself as a throwback to the “master builder” of old when experienced craftsmen self-performed all aspects of the construction process.