Clothing giant VF Corp. investing $52M in Lebanon County facility

North Carolina-based VF Corp., which traces its roots to Berks County, announced today that it will lease a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Union Township, Lebanon County next year.

The company is planning to invest up to $52 million in the Gateway Logistics Park facility, which is near the Interstate 78/Interstate 81 split. The address of the site is 545 Old Forge Road.

Toymaker Mattel also has committed to that location.

VF said the new facility will bring more than 175 full-time jobs to the Jonestown area over the next three years.

“As our direct-to-consumer business continues to grow, we see the consumer-focused opportunity to expand our distribution operations so that we can more quickly service our consumers in the Northeastern U.S.,” said Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman, president and CEO. “Jonestown is the ideal place for our new distribution center and warehouse given its skilled workforce and geographic location. We’re excited about expanding our operations in Pennsylvania and are appreciative of the efforts by the Governor’s Action Team to help make today’s announcement possible.”

VF will receive $358,000 in job creation tax credits from the state Department of Community and Economic Development. It also will receive $48,600 in WEDnetPA funding for employee training.

The lease in Lebanon County will begin in July 2018, the company said. The company expects to begin hiring in mid-2018 with plans to be operational by early 2019.

“The shell of the building is complete, but we will be doing general improvement work, office build out, parking lot configurations and installing our equipment,” said Vanessa McCutchen, a VF spokeswoman.

Founded in 1899, VF moved its headquarters from the Wyomissing area in 1998. The company has a diverse portfolio of other iconic brands, including Wrangler and Lee.

Shares of the company’s stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol VFC.