Robert “Rob” Mericle pioneered the development of speculative industrial space in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He has 30 years of experience in commercial real estate services and is a licensed general contractor with an extensive background in commercial real estate development, construction, brokerage, and finance. In 1985, Robert Mericle founded Mericle Properties and began his career in commercial real estate. In 1993, he established Mericle Commercial Real Estate Group, Inc., specializing in commercial/industrial brokerage properties, securing the company’s position as the premier full-service commercial real estate company serving Northeastern Pennsylvania. Today, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services is one of the largest commercial/industrial developers in the state and operates one of the largest and most competitive commercial brokerage firms in the region. More than 13,400 people work in the buildings Mr. Mericle has developed in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Mericle team has provided commercial real estate solutions to dozens of well-known companies including 40 Fortune 1000 firms. These include Amazon.com, American Eagle Outfitters, Neiman Marcus, The Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, CVS Caremark, Michaels, Men’s Wearhouse, Geisinger Health System, Kimberly Clark, FedEx Ground, Cintas, PepsiCo, Merill Lynch, and many others. In 2012, Robert Mericle announced the ReadyToGo!™ Program, a major investment in new speculative buildings and fully prepared sites, that is expected to facilitate the creation and retention of thousands of local jobs. In 2017, he founded DiscoverNEPA™, a multi-media and social media campaign that promotes the many positive attributes to living and working in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since 1985, Robert Mericle, the Mericle family, and Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services have provided significant financial support to help hundreds of non-profit and community organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since just 2005 alone, the company has donated more than 60,000 man-hours to community service. In addition, Mericle employees and their families have donated thousands of hours of their personal time to many local worthy causes. The company focuses its philanthropic and volunteer efforts on youth programs and activities, educational opportunities, healthcare initiatives, aid to the economically disadvantaged, community park upgrades, and regional economic development programs.