Banko Beverage, one of the oldest family-owned wholesale beer distributors in Pennsylvania, has relocated its Northeastern Pennsylvania division, Banko North, to a flex building developed by Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services at 1 Alberigi Drive in the Jessup Small Business Center, Jessup Borough.
Founded in 1933 and grown to industry prominence by Frank Banko Jr., who was the father of current CEO Mary Ellen Racz, Banko’s operational headquarters is located just a short drive down the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Under Ms. Racz’s leadership, Banko has earned many awards, including the Miller Coors Presidents Award, which is presented only to the most distinguished distributors in a region.
As part of the Banko family of companies, Banko North proudly distributes products from some of the finest breweries, including Miller, Yuengling, Guinness, Heineken, Pabst, and Genesee.
Banko acquired Banko North in 2003 to expand its distribution footprint and to avail itself to strategic opportunities in the Northeast.
Ms. Racz said, “It has been, and very much continues to be, Banko’s interest to maintain a strong physical presence in the Northeast and we were thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Mericle on this project. This facility helps to address our capacity challenges at our previous location and cement our commitment to the Northeast.”
“Banko Beverage has been a long standing, growing employer in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We congratulate them on their expansion into the Jessup Small Business Center and for their commitment to growth and investment in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Bob Durkin, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.
The real estate transaction was coordinated by Mericle Vice President Bob Besecker and Mericle Senior Sales Associate Dave Daris. Besecker said the new location will give Banko better highway accessibility to its regional clients and will help the company operate more efficiently. He said the lease with Banko leaves just over 24,000 square feet available in the building for other tenants.
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.