SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. — Atlantic Beverage Co. has signed a lease for 97,800 square feet of industrial space at 450 Oaktree Road in South Plainfield. The 257,000-square-foot property features 21-foot ceiling heights, 14 tailboards, one drive-in door, more than 150 car parking spaces, parking for 50 trailers and proximity to Interstate 287 and the New Jersey Turnpike. Steve Bussel of Bussel Realty Corp. represented the tenant and the landlord, Paramount Assets, in the transaction.
The industrial market in Los Angeles County is extremely tight and shows no signs of letting up as the trend for conversion of industrial property to creative office space by tech and media industries is very prevalent. Many industrial property owners either sell their assets and realize major equity gains with the new buyer planning a conversion, or choose to convert it to creative office themselves, garnering two to four times the rental rate for creative space. The vacancy rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2015 was parallel to that of the last quarter of 2014. To give some perspective, the downward trend of industrial vacancy has continued since the second quarter of 2013 when vacancy posted at a 5 percent rate. Additionally, the majority of larger industrial development in the region is build-to-suit product, which has virtually no impact on vacancy. The Downtown Los Angeles industrial market continues this trend of industrial property conversion to creative office. The Arts District is ground zero for this. While the rejuvenation and gentrification of Downtown is a welcome sight, the industrial users are now having to relocate, seeking other spaces throughout the LA basin. Many of these users are …
EL PASO, TEXAS — CBRE has arranged two long-term lease renewals for logistics tenants in El Paso. The buildings are part of a larger industrial portfolio purchased by Phoenix-based ViaWest Group earlier this year. Foreign trade and door-to-door logistics services firm Jichasa renewed a 20,000-square-foot lease at 7189 Merchant Ave., with plans for future expansion. The El Paso operations support a powdered milk supplier in Chihuahua, Mexico. Third party logistics provider Superior Transport & Logistics Inc. also renewed a 20,000-square-foot lease at 7157 Merchant Ave. Since acquiring the four-building, 245,745-square-foot portfolio in March, ViaWest Group has installed new roofing, resurfaced the parking lots and updated the exterior paint. Additional renovations are planned for the future. The portfolio is 58 percent occupied. Arturo De la Mora with CBRE’s El Paso office represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
CHESTERFIELD, MO. — St. Louis-based Hilliker Corp. has arranged a 5,250-square-foot lease for B&G Industries, a material handling solution provider. The company relocated to 717 Crown Industrial Court from 744 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd. in Chesterfield. The new location offers 1,500 square feet of office space and 3,750 square feet of warehouse storage space. Will Aschinger of Hilliker represented the tenant, while Scott Properties represented the landlord, Scott Family Properties, in the transaction.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — The Carlyle Group has acquired the Lauderdale Marine Center, the nation’s largest yacht repair facility in terms of volume capability. The project is located at 2001 S.W. 20th St. in Fort Lauderdale. The global asset manager purchased the 50-acre facility via Carlyle Realty Partners VII, a U.S. real estate investment fund. The facility features a boatyard, marina and marine service center with 19 covered sheds, three marine travel lifts and 156 wet slips. The marine center’s offices and work stations are leased to 60 on-site contractors that provide services such as fiberglass repair, electrical, painting, brokerage and insurance. The Carlyle Group plans to add more pavement to allow more yacht repair space, complete renovations to an adjacent boatyard to incorporate into the facility and develop a new management and leasing office on-site. Julie Fisher Berry of Stiles Realty represented the sellers, Selvin Passen and business partner Morio Mito, in the transaction. The sales price was not disclosed, but the Sun-Sentinel reports that the transaction could have totaled $140 million to $150 million.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Yanfeng USA Automotive Trim Systems, an automotive product supplier, has leased a 231,625-square-foot industrial property located at 7463 Bonnyshire Drive in Chattanooga. The lease term is 10 years for the Chattanooga facility, which is Yanfeng USA’s fourth U.S. location. L. Mason Capitani CORFAC International and its CORFAC affiliate in Nashville, Chas. Hawkins CORFAC International, represented Yangeng USA in the lease transaction.
ORLANDO, FLA. — McCraney Property Co. has secured a new lease for 99,214 square feet at Bent Oak Industrial Park in Orlando. The industrial park sits on 39 acres and consists of two Class A industrial buildings at 1701 and 1801 Boice Pond Road, spanning 703,920 square feet. Shepard Exposition Services, an Atlanta-based national event service enterprise, will occupy space at Building 200. With this transaction, the asset is close to 50 percent leased prior to construction completion. Matt Sullivan of Cite Partners represented McCraney Property Co. in the lease transaction.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Sealy & Co. has acquired a 101,983-square-foot industrial asset located at 9500 Plaza Circle in El Paso on behalf of the company’s investment offering, SSEP. The single-tenant building, developed in 2000, is a cross-dock facility that offers above average clear heights for the market and a large amount of excess trailer parking. The building is located 1.7 miles from the Zaragoza Bridge, a commercial international port of entry between Mexico and the United States.
HOUSTON — NAI Partners has represented Pexco LLC in the disposition of its 129,325-square-foot industrial office and warehouse facility on 11.9 acres located at 12955 Emmett Road in Houston. John Ferruzzo and Nick Peterson of NAI Partners represented the seller, Pexco, during the negotiations, while Barrett Gibson and Jason English with Colliers International represented the buyer, Parker-Hannifin Corp.
MANSFIELD, TEXAS — ARCO/Murray has completed a 186,700-square-foot expansion for Klein Tools. The facility is located in Mansfield and serves as the company’s manufacturing headquarters. The expansion included an 18,000-square-foot, two-story office and multiple crane bays. The space is fully air-conditioned and also features insulated tilt wall panels and a steel bar joist structure. Jason McLaughlin and Mark Klump of ARCO/Murray represented the construction team.
