EASTON, PA-Cherry Hill, NJ-based Strober-Haddonfield Group Inc. has signed a 12-year renewal for 146,908 sf at 600 Kuebler Rd. here. In an unrelated transaction, St. Louis-based Alpha Plastics expanded from 35,000 sf to 68,400 sf at 1995 Highfield Ave. in nearby Bethlehem and renewed for 12 years.

The Strober-Haddonfield deal has an aggregate value of between $5.5 million and $6 million, while the Alpha transaction is valued at between $4 million and $4.5 million, according to Greg Rogerson, principal of JG Petrucci Co., which owns both properties. "For a long time there's not been a lot of leasing activity here," he tells GlobeSt.com. "We take these long-term renewals as evidence that the Lehigh Valley distribution market is picking up."

The 173,000-sf Kuebler Road facility was built in the 1960s. Strober-Haddonfield is a lumber supply company, and its renewal takes the facility's occupancy to 100%. Alpha Plastics, formerly Yorkbridge Packaging, makes bottles for hotel amenity packages. Its expansion takes occupancy in the 91,000-sf building in Bethlehem to 100%.

Rent rates for distribution facilities in the Lehigh Valley "are holding," Rogerson says, "at an average asking rate of $4.50 per sf triple net." Petrucci is based in Asbury, NJ and also operates an office in Bethlehem.