For forty years, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services has operated on a high-stakes, forward-looking principle: construct the spaces first, and the employers will follow. As the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, this commitment to speculative building remains the core framework behind its ongoing regional expansion.
The cumulative impact of that strategy is visible across the Northeastern Pennsylvania landscape. According to Jim Cummings, the firm’s vice president of marketing, Mericle has developed more than 160 facilities across 21 regional business parks. Together, these properties accommodate nearly 250 diverse enterprises and account for approximately 20,000 area jobs.
When the developer began its speculative operations nearly four decades ago, projects were far more modest in scale. Cummings noted that initial builds generally ranged between 30,000 and 50,000 square feet. Over time, Mericle gradually expanded its capacity, becoming the region’s pioneer in erecting speculative commercial structures exceeding 100,000, 250,000, 500,000, and ultimately 1 million square feet.
This private-sector momentum marked a stark departure from the region’s economic past. Bob Durkin, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that local industrial initiatives were historically spearheaded by quasi-public and civic organizations due to an absence of substantial private investment.
Entities like the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), Greater Hazleton Can Do Inc., and the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce spent decades driving local development on their own. Durkin explained that the arrival of company founder Robert Mericle fundamentally altered the regional economic model by introducing substantial private capital and job-creating investments.
Durkin emphasized that constructing on such a massive scale without pre-committed tenants requires notable boldness. While putting upfront capital at risk might appear perilous, Durkin characterized Mericle’s speculative ventures as highly calculated investments that have expanded the region’s economic recruitment bandwidth and placed the area ahead of the curve.
The prime showcase of this approach is the CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park, situated across Jenkins Township and Pittston Township. Spanning 14 million square feet, the sprawling trade center stands as Mericle’s largest completed development project to date.
CenterPoint was realized through a public-private partnership that transformed acreage left idle for decades by past coal mining operations into modern industrial property. Mericle constructed nearly every building in the park on speculation, successfully populating the 63 facilities with 85 businesses employing over 8,000 people.
Building on that track record, the firm is currently constructing the CrossRoads East Business Park in Hazle Township. Cummings noted that this new trade center mirrors CenterPoint in total size and carries the potential to generate comparable long-term economic dividends for the surrounding region.
Regional development leaders view the Hazle Township development as a critical asset for future business attraction. John Augustine III, president and chief executive officer of Penn’s Northeast, noted that the site’s advantageous highway access aligns with a growing corporate trend seen over the past five years, in which prospective tenants increasingly prioritize move-in-ready facilities over ground-up builds.
A major driver behind Mericle’s ability to remain competitive is its vertically integrated operating structure. Rather than outsourcing key stages to third-party general contractors, construction managers, and subcontractors, the company maintains its essential development capabilities entirely in-house.
Cummings stated that retaining internal construction crews enables the company to expedite delivery timelines and offer more competitive lease pricing. Furthermore, this vertical model allows the developer to carry out intricate interior fit-outs tailored to complex manufacturing clients, translating into more executed leases and regional employment gains.
Beyond its massive standalone business parks, Mericle has also maintained close collaborative relationships with local civic groups. Durkin, who described Robert Mericle as an approachable expert in economic development, cited successful joint ventures with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, including commercial properties within the Jessup Small Business Center.
The developer’s longevity is also linked to its capacity to adapt to changing market requirements. Augustine pointed out that tenant specifications continue to evolve, noting that the broader market has recently cooled on 1-million-square-foot mega-warehouses in favor of flexible sites measuring closer to 200,000 square feet—a shift Mericle recognized early.
Additionally, maintaining a balanced commercial portfolio has provided a buffer against macroeconomic volatility. By balancing manufacturing plants, warehouse distribution facilities, and office spaces, Mericle insulates its operations against broader cyclical downturns and economic recessions.
Augustine concluded that Mericle’s willingness to shoulder initial financial risks fundamentally validated Northeastern Pennsylvania as an attractive industrial destination. By committing private capital to uncommitted projects when others hesitated, the firm established the regional momentum that continues to draw industry to the area today.
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