McBride, along with SVP Steve Bonge and VP Tim Brogan of Grubbrepresented the owner, Boston-based High Street Equities in thenegotiations. Jason Grace of Lemoyne-based Landmark CommercialRealty represented MWI. The 100,000-sf distribution facility wascompleted in 1992 and is 100% leased.

"This is a very healthy market," McBride says of the centralPennsylvania industrial sector. "In order to make way for thisexpansion, we had to negotiate termination of a lease by anothertenant," he tells GlobeSt.com. He says this industrial marketencompasses about 65 million sf, "and vacancy is at less than 2%."As the vacancy rate has dropped, rental rates have risen.

"The average rent for small-space tenants is now between $4.50per sf and $4.60 per sf, compared with about $4.25 per sf a yearago," McBride says. "For big-box tenants that require about 150,000sf or more, the average is now about $4.25 per sf, versus $4 per sfa year ago." The Grayson Road facility is one of MWI's eightregional distribution centers nationwide.