A flooring distribution company will move from Cresco, Monroe County, to the Mid-Valley Industrial Park in Jessup, bringing about 20 jobs.
Derr Flooring Co. purchased a facility from Advance Transportation Services Inc. for $1.1 million and plans to open it in January.
The company had outgrown its warehouse in Cresco, which it occupied since 1987, said branch manager Fred Warfel. The rural area didn't have the water service needed to expand and install better fire-suppression systems.
“It was doable, but not feasible,” Mr. Warfel said. “So we started looking.”
The Advance Transportation building in the Mid-Valley Industrial Park provided the company utilities and road access, said Lucille O'Boyle, broker of O'Boyle Real Estate, Clarks Summit, which listed the building.
“The building is well situated and in good condition,” she said.
“It turned out to be ideal for them.”
Advance Transportation will continue to operate from a portion of the building in space leased from the new owners, Ms. O'Boyle said. Its business has contracted, and it doesn't need all the space, she said.
Derr Flooring is headquartered in Willow Grove in suburban Philadelphia and is privately owned by the Derr family, which founded the company in 1912.
Working with 70 manufacturers, Derr Flooring distributes wood, laminate and vinyl flooring to retailers, lumber yards, and flooring specialists. In 2005, company sales were between $10 million and $25 million, according to a company profile published in the Harris Pennsylvania Services Directory.
The company has other warehouses in York, Edison, N.J., and New Castle, Del.
Derr Flooring is traditional and family-run, said Lenny Wargo, owner of Heads Up Flooring stores in Hamlin and Luzerne. He has purchased flooring from Derr for 25 years.
“They have selection and pricing - but I can get that from other companies,” Mr. Wargo said. “I stick with them because they are a family operation that knows the business. We could use more companies like that.”
