Zulily project to invest $43.6 M in the region and create 1,200 jobs

BETHLEHEM (Thursday, Sept. 11) – In a significant victory for the Lehigh Valley’s economic development attraction efforts, zulily inc, an online retailer, will create 1,200 full-time positions over the next three years through the establishment of a multi-million dollar fulfilment center in Bethlehem, Northampton County.

The project represents an investment of $43.6 million and the construction of 820,000 square foot facility on a site that contains both Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) and Enterprise Zone designations. The lease is expected to start later this year, with hiring scheduled to begin during the first six months of 2015. The building was already under construction on speculation by Liberty Property Trust, the largest owner of industrial space in the Lehigh Valley market.

“We are pleased to welcome zulily to the Lehigh Valley’s rapidly growing e-commerce business community,” said Don Cunningham, LVEDC president and CEO. “This is a major job-creation project in the Lehigh Valley. Thanks to our unique location in the northeast United States we are seeing tremendous growth in the e-commerce economy. Zulily represents the latest chapter.”

Zulily, founded in 2010, has their corporate headquarters in Seattle, with fulfilments centers in Reno, Nevada and Columbus, Ohio. The company is publically traded on the NASDAQ and attracts 4.1 million active customers and features more than 15,000 brands.

The Lehigh Valley is home to about 20 companies with more than 1,000 employees. Zulily will instantly add to that number.

“We’re happy to have selected Pennsylvania and the City of Bethlehem as our next location to expand our fulfillment center network,” said Robert Spieth, chief operating officer of zulily. This center, along with our newly automated fulfillment center in Ohio and expansion in Nevada, will help us to better serve our growing customer base across the country.

The company received a funding proposal from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development including Job Creation Tax Credits in the amount of $3.6 million, grants, and workforce recruitment and assistance.

The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, the economic development arm of the governor, and LVEDC in the Lehigh Valley.

The Lehigh Valley is the 68^th largest metropolitan region in the United States and has a $33 billion economy with more than 15,000 businesses.

Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a one-stop, full-service business and economic development agency. Created to promote and foster economic prosperity in the Lehigh Valley, LVEDC assists businesses by providing them with regional, economic and demographic information, finance and business incentives, site and facility availability, business networking, and workforce services. By coordinating with state, county, and municipal governments, chambers of commerce, industry organizations, educational institutions and utilities, the award-winning LVEDC streamlines the relocation and expansion process for businesses. Visit LVEDC online at lehighvalley.org.