Pittston Twp., PA — Executives from Cardbox Packaging’s Austrian HQ hosted a ceremony to celebrate the success of the company’s United States manufacturing headquarters in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park West, Pittston Township. The company’s local employees and numerous dignitaries attended the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
In June of 2019, the company announced plans, as part of a $5.3 million investment, to establish its first US headquarters and manufacturing facility in a 27,500 s/f building that would be constructed in CenterPoint West by Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services. Earlier this year, to accommodate the firm’s rapid growth, Mericle began construction on an 11,000 s/f building expansion, which is nearing completion.
“With regard to local business relationships, setting a plant in Pittston Twp. was a strategic step forward for the whole Cardbox Packaging group. Unfortunately, we could not perform any ceremonial opening due to the pandemic situation back in 2019, so today‘s event compensates for that fact a bit,” thinks back Klaus Hockl, managing director of Cardbox Packaging Holding. “We would like to thank all of our employees for their constant efforts for Cardbox Packaging. Our success relates to them,” Hockl adds.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development provided incentive funding to the company in 2019.
“I would like to congratulate Cardbox on this expansion, and it’s really encouraging to see the strong packaging supply chain that has been established here in Luzerne County,” said David Briel, DCED Deputy Secretary for International Business Development. “DCED worked with our regional partners to get Greiner Packaging to locate its US headquarters and manufacturing here and this eventually enabled its strategic partner, Cardbox, to follow suit in 2019 and set up US operations in Pittston Twp. as well. It’s been great to watch these international companies come here to the Commonwealth and grow their North American operations from a Pennsylvania base.
Mericle VP Bill Jones coordinated the real estate project. Jones said Cardbox is one of 75 tenants in CenterPoint and is the second to be headquartered in Austria. Greiner Packaging USA, also in Pittston Twp., is the other.
Jones noted CenterPoint’s tenants employ 7,500 people in 51 park buildings.
“It has been a pleasure working with the entire Cardbox team since 2019,” Jones said. “We look forward to their continued growth as they develop innovative products in the US packaging marketplace.”