A new distribution center in the Bethlehem area that is more than 500,000 square feet and employs more than 325 people is the reason behind the closing of a distribution center in the Middletown area.
McKesson, a wholesaler of medical supplies and equipment, and a pharmaceutical distributor, will close its distribution center at 1400 AIP Drive in Lower Swatara Township and is expected to lay off 64 people on April 3.
As part of the new facility in Bethlehem for McKesson’s medical surgical business, the Middletown-area distribution center operations were moved to the Bethlehem location, the company said in a statement.
“We notified the Middletown employees in November 2018 and all employees were able to apply for roles at the Bethlehem location with relocation benefits or were offered severance benefits if they chose to not relocate,” the statement said.
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The facility at 1400 AIP Drive is owned by Exeter Property Group. The facility was built in 2004 and is 348,615 square feet, according to Dauphin County property records.
The company filed the WARN (the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry earlier this month. The WARN Act is federal legislation that offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a covered-business closing and covered-business mass layoff. Enforcement of the WARN Act falls under U.S. Department of Labor jurisdiction, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry website.
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