Imagine this — 360 football fields of concrete.
Imagine this — 360 football fields of concrete.
Within just a few-block radius in Allentown’s downtown, Berks Products of Leesport has produced and poured just that for construction projects that are becoming a part of the most historic revitalization the city has ever seen.
And the company is not done yet.
Berks Products, a fifth generation family owned building materials company established more than a century ago, has become a significant fixture in the transformation and economic development of Allentown’s downtown, producing to date nearly 36,000 cubic yards of concrete for three high-rise buildings in the ongoing City Center Lehigh Valley projects and the PPL Center arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms professional ice hockey team.
“It’s very exciting to see a downtown being transformed in this way; it’s wonderful,” said Andrew Davis, general manager of Berks Products’ construction materials division and a fifth generation member of the company’s founding family.
On any given day, there are numerous workers throughout Downtown Allentown from various companies and industries, getting the City Center buildings up and running, with Berks Products playing a significant role.
“The downtown development has created hundreds of construction jobs, but it is not just about jobs on-site; it is also about creating and maintaining jobs in the industries that fuel that on-site work,” Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski said. “Berks Products is a prime example of a Pennsylvania business that has benefited from this development.”
It was 1896 when Berks Products began in Reading as a sidewalk contracting business. Growing and evolving with technology through the years, the company has expanded its services and locations to better accommodate the southeastern regions of the state, including the Lehigh Valley.
“Although we are headquartered in Berks County, Berks Products is committed to the Lehigh Valley and proud to participate in these landmark projects that will help shape the future of Allentown,” Davis said.
Today, in addition to its concrete and building products, Berks Products provides heating and cooling solutions and hauling services and has a companywide staff of nearly 260.
