E. S. Kluft & Company, maker and distributor of Aireloom and Kluft brand mattresses, said today it has signed a long-term lease for nearly 99,000 square feet of newly constructed state-of-the-art production space from Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services in Humboldt Industrial Park, 1104 North Park Dr. in Hazle Township, PA.
The company has already begun to recruit 50 new employees and expects to start production in mid October. Kluft expects to double the number of jobs during the initial term of its lease.
“The Kluft and Aireloom brands are unique. High-quality retailers have asked us to grow our production capacity in the East Coast region. This new site will be a state-of-the-art production and distribution center that mirrors our West Coast facility, enabling us to produce our full line of products for the first time on the East Coast,” said E. S. Kluft & Company President and CEO Earl Kluft. “Hazle Township is a great community with a wonderful workforce. We are excited about this new opportunity.”
Kluft has outgrown the former Park Place mattress facility in Denver, PA it took control of last year. Because of the age of that plant, it made more sense to find a newer location.
“We needed a place where East Coast buyers and sales associates could see our ultra-luxurious American-made beds at a visually appealing location. Our new facility sits majestically on a grassy rolling hill overlooking a highly travelled highway and also provides us room to grow as it is part of a 22 acre site,” said Kluft.
Mericle Vice President Jim Hilsher coordinated the lease transaction with tenant representation broker Vincent Ranalli, a Vice President of CBRE, Inc., who represented E.S. Kluft & Company. Hilsher said he expects the company to move into the front section of the building by early fall and start operations shortly thereafter.
“Our construction crews will be moving quickly to build out office space, add lighting and increase electrical power to support Kluft’s manufacturing processes,” said Hilsher. “Kluft looked at numerous buildings in eastern Pennsylvania. We are pleased our building is the right fit for the company and its manufacturing jobs.”
The land on which Mericle constructed the 410,000 square foot facility had been developed by local economic development organization, CAN DO, Inc. “This is great news for our area,” said CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell. “E.S. Kluft & Company has an exceptional reputation for turning out quality products. When a community is able to help recruit new manufacturing jobs, especially with a company as highly regarded as E.S. Kluft & Company, it’s a very big win.”
Terms of the lease transaction were not disclosed.
Hilsher said Mericle constructed the building to be occupied by E.S. Kluft and Company on speculation. Through its Ready to Go Program, Mericle is constructing industrial, office, and flex buildings on speculation and is fully preparing more than 90 sites in 10 area business parks.
“The goal of our Ready to Go Program is to make sure we have a wide variety of existing spaces and building-ready sites available at all times,” said Hilsher. “Too often, companies wait too long to begin their search for a new location. Our Ready to Go Program virtually guarantees we’ll have a property that meets the specifications and timetables of quality companies like E.S Kluft & Company.”
In 2004, third-generation mattress maker Earl Kluft founded E. S. Kluft & Company and created the next hallmark of luxury bedding. Kluft’s Aireloom® designs offer artisanal quality and legacy features such as hand-tied coils and side-stitching. Kluft lines feature the most advanced materials and technologies available in the world, including the highest quality Belgian jersey knits and damask fabrics, Ellison & Robbins nested coils, New Zealand Joma wool, natural Talalay latex, bio-based foams and natural, eco-friendly fibers. Kluft is available in more than 350 select U.S. retailers and internationally. To learn more, visit www.kluftmattress.com and www.aireloom.com.
Mericle has developed 12 buildings totaling more than 4.3 million square feet in Humboldt Industrial Park. Mericle’s park tenants and clients include Amazon.com, Michael’s Handcrafts, Econoco, Nature’s Bounty, Freedom Corrugated, E&B Giftware, and Simmons. More than 12,000 people work in the 16.5 million square feet of commercial space Mericle has developed in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Founded by Robert K. Mericle in 1985, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services has developed more than 19 million square feet of industrial, office and flex space. More than 13,400 people work in the buildings developed by Mericle in Northeastern Pennsylvania.