Governor Tom Wolf has announced that New York City-based Bowery Farming, Inc., the largest vertical farming company in the country, has selected Pennsylvania as the best place to expand its operations. The new facility will be the fourth vertical farm operation in the U.S. and first in the commonwealth.

“Pennsylvania welcomes Bowery Farming to our commonwealth’s rich and diverse agriculture industry and looks forward to supporting the company’s growth as it reimagines how farming can be more sustainable and impactful to our communities,” said Wolf. “Bowery’s expansion will generate new opportunities by establishing this technologically advanced indoor vertical farm and will create new year-round sustainable jobs and a chance to address food insecurity throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania.”

Bowery Farming will expand to a newly constructed 150,000 square-foot facility on an 8.7-acre site in Bethlehem. BThe project will create and retain at least 70 new full-time jobs within the next three years, and the company has pledged to invest at least $32 million.

Bowery Farming received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $210,000 Pennsylvania First grant and $50,000 in grant funding for workforce training. The company has been encouraged to apply for a Neighborhood Assistance Enterprise Zone Tax Credit (NAP-EZP). The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.

“Adding our newest, most sophisticated smart indoor farm in Bethlehem to our network is a critical next chapter in our growth,” said Irving Fain, founder and CEO of Bowery Farming. “We’re proud to transform a former industrial site into productive, modern farmland, which will create year-round sustainable farming jobs for the community and expand access to a reliable source of traceable pesticide-free produce across the region.”

Propelled by its proprietary software system, the BoweryOS, Bowery builds smart indoor vertical farms that deliver a wide variety of protected produce in little time, near cities they serve, for a truly local approach.

The company, founded in 2015, delivers produce via e-commerce to more than 680 stores in the tri-state area and Mid-Atlantic region, including Amazon Fresh, Giant Food, Hungryroot, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Weis, and specialty grocers.

For more information about the Governor’s Action Team or DCED, visit dced.pa.gov.