New Ocean Spray Plant Taking Shape in Upper Macungie

Work continues on the complex, located at Boulder Drive off of Schantz Road in Upper Macungie.

Construction on the new Ocean Spray bottling plant, located on Boulder Drive, off of Schantz Road, continued this week despite the cold weather. The plant is located on 44 acres of land along Boulder Drive and will sport a plant of 225,000 square feet. The $110 million project, which has the backing of Gov. Tom Corbett's office, is expected to bring 165 jobs into the Lehigh Valley. Ocean Spray is moving its operations to the Lehigh Valley from Bordentown, N.J., which is near Trenton. The Ocean Spray plant is located directly across from the Bimbo Bakeries USA project, a state-of-the-art bakery in Upper Macungie that will bring more than 100 jobs to the area and produce bread and buns for the Northeast.

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Photos: Bimbo Bakeries Plant Under Construction in Upper Macungie

Crews have begun work on the 240,000-square-foot plant located at 105 Boulder Drive.

Construction work has begun on Bimbo Bakeries'  state-of-the-art bakery plant located at 105 Boulder Drive in Upper Macungie. Bimbo Bakeries is building its new facility on 30 acres. The site is across from Ocean Spray's new facility, which is currently also under construction. Construction of the 240,000-square-foot plant is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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Bridge Commission Begins I-78 Repairs

Joint Toll Bridge Commission wants drivers to know how I-78 work is going.

If the stretch of Interstate 78 near Easton was a person, it would have reached the legal drinking age two years ago. It opened in 1989, and hasn't had a major upgrade since, according to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, which oversees that part of the highway. Now, that upgrade is here, in the form of a $17 million repair project expected to last until May 2013. While the work is going on, the DRJTBC has set up three ways for the public to keep on top of the project, and to offer its input. According to the commission, the project will include: Although lanes are expected to close during the work, the commission says it will "compel the contractor to maintain at least two lanes of travel in each direction during hours of …

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Work Continues on Fogelsville Weis Markets

The planned Fogelsville Weis Markets is still in the construction stage. It is set to open for business in November.

Construction continues on the planned Weis Markets superstore in Fogelsville at the intersection of Route 100 and W. Glenlivet Road. A visit to the site this week showed construction crews working, but access was limited as the newly built W. Glenlivet Road was closed. A large "coming soon" sign could be seen from the road. There is no word when hiring will begin for the 68,000-square-foot superstore that is slated to open in November. The new Weis will be about five times larger than the Rite Aid nearby. The building itself is going to be about 80,000 square feet with 68,000 square feet for Weis. The rest will be for rental. As a "superstore," it will have larger perishable departments, including a produce department with a greater …

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Ocean Spray Says It's Using Union Workers

The company's vice-president of manufacturing, Erich Fritz, says Ocean Spray is taking construction bids from both union and non-union firms.

Ocean Spray Says It's Using Union Workers

The company's vice president of manufacturing, Erich Fritz, says Ocean Spray is taking construction bids from both union and non-union firms.

Ocean Spray responded to an article on Upper Macungie Patch stating that the Bordentown, N.J., company was not using union workers to construct its $110 million Lehigh Valley plant. Erich Fritz, vice pesident of manufacturing operations for Ocean Spray, said the company is using both union and non-union workers for construction. "In extending contracts surrounding the construction of Ocean Spray’s Lehigh Valley Beverage Facility, Ocean Spray is selecting bids at the lowest cost and highest quality – union or non-union -- that meets its construction requirements. Ocean Spray is accepting bids from both union and non-union firms. Together with Gilbane, Ocean Spray’s site developer, we aspire to partner with the most qualified professionals …

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