A team made up of Herndon Products, an O’Fallon, Missouri-based supply chain management company, and LOGZONE, Inc., a Huntsville, Alabama-based systems logistics and information technology company, will create 16 new jobs in Throop Borough.
The companies will serve the Tobyhanna Army Depot in 20,000 square feet of industrial space leased from Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services at 19 Bert Collins Drive in Keystone Industrial Park.
Herndon Products recently received a prime contract award from the Defense Logistics Agency, Land and Maritime operations to manage the Industrial Product-Support Vendor (IPV) Program at the Depot.
Herndon Products was selected as the best value solution, resulting from a 14-month evaluation in an unrestricted competitive procurement among major defense contractors. The contract was appropriated as part of the Fiscal 2012 Defense Working Capital Funds, with a funding limit of $56M. The contract, inclusive of all options, extends into 2017.
LOGZONE, Inc., founded in 2007, is a disabled veteran-owned small business that provides services throughout the Department of Defense, specializing in the full range of weapons system support and analysis. LOGZONE’s services sustain theater missile defense, air defense, aviation and land-combat systems. For more information about LOGZONE, visit www.logzoneinc.com.
“On behalf of the Herndon Products team, we look forward to being part of the Scranton business community in support of Tobyhanna,” said Scott Herndon, President and CEO of Herndon Products. “It has been an easy transition so far with Mericle truly leaning forward into this new relationship to help us support our mission for the depot. Their group was extremely accommodating of our needs and moved swiftly and professionally.”
The Tobyhanna contract will increase Herndon Products’ managed warehouse footprint by 50% in Pennsylvania, bringing the investment in an eastern distribution network to 65,000 sq. ft. and just fewer than 40 employees.
Mericle Vice President Dan Walsh coordinated the lease transaction with real estate broker Sean Bleiler of CBRE’s Allentown office. Walsh said Mericle was able to meet Herndon Products’ short timetable for occupying and modifying modern industrial space with quick access to the Depot.
“Fortunately, because we are a vertically integrated company, we were able to use our own in-house construction resources to immediately identify the right space and then make the necessary modifications to meet Herndon’s expedited time frame for occupancy,” said Walsh.
“We are excited to welcome the Herndon Products – LOGZONE team to Northeastern Pennsylvania,” stated Austin Burke, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “Tobyhanna Army Depot, one of our region’s largest technology employers, is joined by another outstanding firm creating jobs locally.”
Burke also thanked the Mericle team for its ongoing efforts to provide quality space to Northeastern Pennsylvania employers. “By continuing to add new industrial, office, and flex space to the market, Mericle is increasing our odds of recruiting companies and their jobs to our area,” said Burke. “Mericle has been a great partner to SLIBCO and The Scranton Plan and we look forward to working with them on many more development projects in Lackawanna County.”
Herndon Products will be responsible for providing supply chain services (electronic components, fasteners, bin replenishment, and other production line material) associated with Tobyhanna Army Depot’s mission in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) products. Additionally, Herndon will support fulfilling the worldwide demand of other DLA customers for similar products. This award is similar to the Letterkenny Army Depot contract that Herndon Products has been successfully executing since 2008.
Herndon Products supplies high quality products and services to the aerospace and defense industries. Since inception, HPI has been the premier provider of supply chain solutions to the US Government, domestic and international companies. Herndon Products is an ISO 9001:2008, AS9120 Rev A and AC 00-56A certified company based in O’Fallon, Missouri, with a mission to provide the best integrated supply chain management solutions for assembly components to our customers. For more information about Herndon Products, please visit www.herndonproducts.com.
Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, founded by Robert Mericle, has provided commercial real estate solutions to companies in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania for more than 30 years. Mericle is a developer of investment grade industrial, office, flex, and medical space and ReadyToGo!™ Sites. More than 13,400 people work in the buildings Mericle has developed.