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Jay Group chosen as 3PL provider for Evie ring, first medical grade health wearable for women

Lancaster-based Jay Group has been selected as the third-party logistics provider that will store, handle and ship Movano Health’s Evie ring, the first medical grade health wearable designed for women.

Through this partnership, Movano will leverage Jay Group’s fulfillment analytics and operations to support the planned November launch of Evie, currently under Federal Drug Administration review.

Fitting on a woman’s finger, Evie ring monitors her heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation level, menstrual cycle, sleep quality and activity level.

“The announcement from Movano to partner with Jay Group represents a significant differentiator in the 3PL industry,” Scott Chamberlain, director of business development at Jay Group, wrote in an email. “Sophisticated brands like Movano need advanced fulfillment solutions. The partnership says a lot about Jay Group’s commitment to partnering with mission-driven, tech-forward brands like Movano, as well as an overall increase in market demand for these types of products.

“Movano joins a portfolio of recent brands focused on providing better health and wellness experiences for women who have chosen Jay Group as their 3PL fulfillment partner of choice. These brands include Sequel Tampon, Mosie Baby, Phenology and Sunny Period.”

Jay Group describes itself as the longest running, privately held provider of advanced fulfillment and logistics services in the U.S.

Under this agreement, Pleasanton, California-based Movano Health plans to store inventory of the Evie ring in Jay Group’s FDA-registered fulfillment centers across the U.S., a release said. Initially, Evie will be available for purchase online with plans to expand into brick-and-mortar retailers.

Jay Group will receive the orders placed online. After completing their order, consumers will receive a ring sizer kit that will be collated, picked and shipped to the purchaser’s front door by Jay Group. Once the consumer’s ring size is identified, the consumer’s ring order will return to Jay Group to fulfill, ship and complete.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Bowhead to lay off 61 employees at Letterkenny

Bowhead Logistics Management LLC will lay off 61 employees at its Letterkenny Army Depot facility starting late next month, it informed the state Department of Labor & Industry.

In its Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing, Bowhead said the layoffs at 1350 Superior Ave., Building 57, Chambersburg, are expected to be permanent.

The cutbacks are due to “unplanned conclusions of maintenance programs and projected reductions in maintenance work” on certain contracts, the WARN notice said.

Jobs will be phased out between Sept. 29 and Nov. 16.

Affected employees at Letterkenny are represented by a union, District Lodge No. 1 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO.

“We apologize that we were unable to provide to you more advance notice of this action,” the WARN letter said. According to the WARN Act, advance notice is supposed to be sent at least 60 days ahead of any layoffs.

“The Army only recently notified Bowhead of its requirements that Bowhead must implement these employee separations and the dates on which the required separations must occur,” the Bowhead WARN letter continued. “Accordingly, after reviewing the Army’s request and identifying those employees who will be impacted by the Army’s directive, including meetings between Bowhead and the union to work together on the layoff plan in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, we are providing this notice to you at the earliest possible time.”

Attempts to reach the Machinists Union and Bowhead for comment were unsuccessful.

Bowhead also laid off 60 employees at Letterkenny early this year.

UIC Government Services LLC and its Bowhead family of companies, including Bowhead Logistics Management LLC, are part of Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corp., an Alaska Native corporation.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

220 workers lose jobs as contract ends for FedEx Supply Chain

FedEx Supply Chain is discontinuing the management and operation of a facility at 115 Willow Springs Lane in East Manchester Township, affecting the jobs of all 220 people the third-party logistics provider employs there.

The employees received written notice Aug. 1, according to a Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification Act filing the company made with the state Department of Labor & Industry.

“FedEx Supply Chain currently operates the facility on Willow Springs (Lane) in York for a customer that will be transitioning its business to a new third-party logistics provider,” the company said in a statement.

“In October, this new provider will assume operation of the … facility. Affected team members were notified in advance of any changes taking place, and we are actively providing assistance with finding other employment opportunities within the company, including at other FedEx facilities in the area. Additionally, we anticipate that there may be opportunities for FedEx team members once this new provider is in place.”

The WARN letter FedEx sent to the state said that affected employees, none of whom is unionized, will be paid wages and benefits through their last day of employment with FedEx Supply Chain Inc. They also will be provided any retirement and group insurance benefits to which they are entitled.

As a service of FedEx Logistics, FedEx Supply Chain provides industry expertise in technology, health care, retail, consumer and industrial markets, its website said, offering warehousing and distribution solutions, e-commerce fulfillment, forward and reverse logistics capabilities and value-added services.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Building begins on 1 million-square-foot Chambersburg Logistics Park

A rendering of the Chambersburg Logistics Park, a 93-acre site in Chambersburg. PHOTO/PROVIDED

An affiliate of Endurance Real Estate Group LLC, in partnership with an affiliate of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, announced the acquisition and beginning of construction of Chambersburg Logistics Park, a 1 million-plus-square-foot cross-dock warehouse/distribution facility.

The $115 million building is expected to be ready for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Cushman & Wakefield served as the adviser to Endurance, which is based in Wayne. PNC Bank National Association provided construction financing.

“We are thrilled to close on this land acquisition and kick off speculative development with Guardian on our first project together,” Benjamin Cohen, president of Endurance, said in a release. “The Cushman team did a great job helping us navigate the ever-evolving capital markets, enabling us to capitalize our largest transaction to date for this shovel-ready site.”

The 93-acre site off Exit 10 along Interstate 81 will include state-of-the-art features, such as tilt-wall panel construction; 40-foot clear height; 60-foot deep speed bays; 56-foot wide and 48-foot deep typical column spacing; high-bay LED lighting with motion sensors; a 60 mil fully adhered roof membrane; an early suppression/fast response sprinkler system; 166 overhead dock door positions; four 14-by-16-foot drive-in doors; 213 trailer stalls (expandable to 303) and 375 car parking spaces (expandable to 561); and 4,000 amp, three-phase main electric service.

Chambersburg Logistics Center will benefit from proximity to major East Coast markets, regional seaports and multiple air, rail and highway systems.

Jared Newman, senior vice president/partner of Endurance, added: “This project is a continuation of our long-term strategy to acquire and develop sites that offer superior access, proximity to abundant labor, and the ability to provide best-in-class design features to attract a variety of high-quality users.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

DHL Supply Chain building giant warehouse facility near Lebanon

DHL Supply Chain is starting work on a nearly 3 million-square-foot warehouse project in Lebanon County’s South Annville Township.

In late August, the third-party logistics provider purchased 198 acres for its Clear Springs Logistics Park – at Route 422 and Killinger Road – for more than $20 million from Eastern Land & Resources Co., according to a deed filed at the Lebanon County Courthouse.

Expected to include three buildings totaling more than 2.8 million square feet, the project has also received money from the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund to support improvements on Killinger Road.

“We are excited to build on DHL Supply Chain’s presence in central Pennsylvania, and are grateful for the partnership with South Annville Township and Lebanon County for the support they have provided on this project,” DHL Supply Chain said in a statement provided to Central Penn Business Journal.

“Over the next few years, we will be delivering state-of-the-art facilities that will provide new employment opportunities for the community.”

Jeanette Henning, South Annville Township’s manager, said in an email that construction has not yet started. “They are in the process of moving earth.”

DHL Supply Chain is also investing $88 million in a two-building life sciences and health care warehousing facility at the former Alcoa aluminum plant at 3100 State Drive, South Lebanon Township.

The first of the two structures is a 970,000-square-foot manufacturing, warehouse and distribution center that the company said will create at least 200 jobs.

DHL Supply Chain is part of the supply chain division of Deutsche Post DHL Group. According to a fact sheet on its website, its customer base includes more than 1,400 customers across all sectors.

Worldwide, DHL Supply Chain employs more than 159,000 people, has approximately 1,460 warehouses and offices, and operates more than 14 million square meters of storage space.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Syncreon to close its York facility, lay off 600-plus workers

Syncreon is closing its York operation and laying off 637 employees, the logistics contractor informed the state this month.

In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing sent to the Department of Labor & Industry, Syncreon said it intends to shutter its facility at 609 Memory Lane in York Business Center.

Employees will start to lose their jobs “beginning on or about” Dec. 16, the WARN notice said.

“Syncreon’s operation is dependent upon its commercial customers’ operations,” the filing explained, and the company has been notified that the main customer at its York location, Harley Davidson, is transferring a majority of its business to another third-party logistics provider.

The WARN notice said that 209 forklift operators, 376 operators, 15 truck drivers and 37 salaried employees are expected to be affected.

When asked, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2948 did not have a detailed comment on the closure.

Its website said Syncreon specializes in the design and operation of supply chain solutions for automotive, technology, consumer home products, industrial, health care and medical technology (medtech) companies.

Syncreon was formed in January 2007, when Walsh Western International and TDS Logistics merged. A global business, it has more than 100 locations and 14,000-plus employees.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Middletown Logistics Center completed and leased

The 251,200-square-foot Middletown Logistics Center, 2070 N. Union St., Lower Swatara Township. PHOTO/PROVIDED

An affiliate of Radnor-based Endurance Real Estate Group LLC announced construction has been completed and a lease agreement reached at the 251,200-square-foot Middletown Logistics Center, 2070 N. Union St., Lower Swatara Township.

IPEX USA LLC, a Pineville, North Carolina-based designer and manufacturer of integrated piping products, will occupy the modern bulk warehouse/distribution facility. JLL represented Endurance in the transaction and CBRE represented IPEX.

Middletown Logistics Center features 36-foot clear heights; LED lighting and ESFR (early suppression, fast response) sprinkler systems; 21 fully equipped door positions including 40,000-pound mechanical levelers, bumpers and seals; one 14-by16-foot drive-in door; 33 trailer stalls; and 192 car parking spaces.

It’s near four FedEx warehouses and the new UPS Northeast Regional Super Hub.

The location off the Middletown exit of Route 283 allows easy access to the greater Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Baltimore-Washington metro areas via interstates 83 and 76. More than one-third of the total U.S. population is within a day’s drive.

The Harrisburg region “is a mature market and continues to grow as the need for warehousing continues to expand,” a release said.

“Our decision to develop this project on a speculative basis proved to be the catalyst in leasing the building simultaneously with its delivery on the market,” said Albert J. Corr, senior vice president of Endurance. “Given IPEX’s new space requirement to the region and their desire to secure a state-of-the-art distribution facility, these factors proved to be the perfect combination to fulfill IPEX’s entry into the central Pennsylvania market.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

New, 320,000-square-foot warehouse brings $45.5 million 

National real estate development and investment firm CRG announced that it has sold The Cubes at Emig Road, a just-built 311,920-square-foot distribution warehouse on 29 acres in Manchester Township. 

A release from CRG did not disclose the price or the buyer, but BizNewsPA reported that AIREF Emig DC LLC, based in Denver, paid $45.5 million for the 434 Emig Road property. 

DCL Logistics, a third-party logistics company headquartered in Fremont, Calif., is leasing approximately 125,000 square feet of the building, which was constructed on spec in the highly sought-after Interstate 78/81 corridor. JLL is marketing the rest of the space. 

The cross-dock warehouse includes 36-foot clear height, high-efficiency LED lighting, 29 dock doors, 149 car parking spaces and 27 trailer stalls. 

“The sale of The Cubes at Emig Road reaffirms the strength of The Cubes brand and our broader Northeast industrial development strategy amid unprecedented demand,” Frank Petkunas, senior vice president, Northeast Region, and partner for CRG, said in the release. “… We continue to explore development opportunities in high-growth markets throughout the region that offer proximity to labor, infrastructure and major population centers.” 

CRG President Shawn Clark added: “The Cubes at Emig is an excellent modern warehouse and well located on the I-81 industrial corridor to serve the needs of retailers, consumer products companies and third-party logistics firms in the Eastern United States. York, Pa., is a special market with quick access to Baltimore and Philadelphia’s strong intermodal network providing access to the nation’s top (metropolitan statistical areas).” 

An earlier release noted that The Cubes at Emig Road is CRG’s seventh industrial park of “The Cubes” brand. 

Swift Transportation opens new midstate facility

Phoenix-based Swift Transportation has opened a new regional facility in central Pennsylvania, signing a long-term lease for a 15,000-square-foot building on 6.9 acres at 170 Fulling Mill Road, Middletown.

Just off Route 283, the property – zoned heavy industrial – is within 3 miles of Harrisburg International Airport and easily accessible to Interstates 81, 83 and 78 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, according to Landmark Commercial Realty/TCN.

The landlord, The Amza Group LLC, was represented by Jason Grace, CEO and managing principal of Landmark.

Swift Transportation’s neighbors at Fulling Mill Road include FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and a UPS parcel hub.

The company, on its website, bills itself as “America’s largest full truckload carrier.” Founded in 1966, it operates 30 terminals and 200 on-site locations, has delivered 3 million loads and driven more than 1.45 billion miles.

Glen-Gery sells manufacturing plant to national real estate firm 

National logistics real estate firm, Dermody Properties, announced its intentions to build a 342,710-square-foot warehouse at the site of Glen-Gery’s brick manufacturing plant in York. 

Dermody announced on Tuesday that it acquired the 29.5 acres of land from Glen-Gery Corp. in April.  

The company intends to lease the facility back to the Wyomissing-based brick and stone manufacturer for two years, after which it will redevelop the site into a state-of-the-art warehouse it refers to as the “LogistiCenter.” 

The new LogistiCenter will take advantage of the property’s proximity to I-83, according to Dermody. 

“This is a rare opportunity to build a new warehouse in an infill location with access to a newly constructed interchange,” said Robert Borny, east region partner at Dermody Properties. “The York submarket continues to be one of the best-performing submarkets in Central Pennsylvania.” 

“Though redevelopment of the site will not happen for some time, industrial vacancies are expected to remain minimal for several years as consumers continue to respond to e-commerce trends,” said Tim Walsh, partner and chief investment officer at Dermody Properties. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with Glen-Gery on the acquisition of this project and look forward to being able to offer it to our customers.”