The facility will be located at 1565 Spillman Dr. within Saucon Tract, the first phase of Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII. LVIP VII is the largest brownfield project in the US. It's a complete redevelopment of property that once housed Bethlehem Steel. LVIP I through V are completely built out, and VII is expected to be fully built out by 2015.

Synchronoss, which is headquartered in Bridgewater, NJ, currently operates a research and development center at 1525 Valley Center Pkwy. in Bethlehem. A source close to the deal tells GlobeSt.com that Synchronoss will close the site at 1525 Valley Center and consolidate its workforce at the new Spillman Drive facility. The company is also undergoing an expansion and anticipates increasing its workforce from just over 400 employees to more than 650 over the next few years.

According to a spokesperson for Petrucci, Synchronoss considered sites in Kansas, Florida and Texas before deciding to remain in Bethlehem. The company was provided with a number of incentives to remain, including a $325,000 opportunity grant, $195,000 in job creation tax credits and $45,500 in WEDnet training. The package was assembled by the Governor's Action Team, which helps companies who are moving or expanding find sites in Pennsylvania that are appropriate for their needs.

J.G. Petrucci, which is based in Asbury, NJ, has a solid history of development in LVIP. In LVIP VI, the company built a new headquarters building for Strahman Valves as well as two medical office buildings and a 91,000-sf build to suit for Flexicon. Petrucci also was responsible for the Courtyard at Marriott Hotel on the site, and the company recently completed an 80,000-sf headquarters building for Receivable Management Services, located only two lots away from the future site of the Synchronoss building.

Petrucci's spokesperson attributes the area's popularity to its large pool of skilled labor and its easy access to major roadways, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-78, which leads right to the port of Newark. LVIP VII is immediately adjacent to I-78. The state and local authorities have also been active in assembling and offering competitive incentive packages for companies who express an interest in relocating or remaining in the Lehigh Valley, and the area has historically been a more cost-efficient alternative to many of its neighbors.