Boeing's big expansion could mean local jobs

By T&D Staff Thursday, October 29, 2009

Boeing’s announcement that it will open a second jetliner production line in North Charleston could mean more jobs for Orangeburg County workers, local officials say.

“This will give us a great opportunity with the Global Logistics Triangle,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Jeannine Kees said. “We will get more looks and a lot more attention.

“We will take the spin-offs and that is fine.”

The Boeing Co. announced Wednesday it will put its second line for the 787 jetliner in North Charleston and not Everett, Wash. Officials say that in addition to the North Charleston jobs, there is also the possibility that Orangeburg County can land businesses that serve Boeing.

Kees said the project could bring attention to the Jafza Magna Park-Santee project, the John Matthews Industrial Park and the county’s speculative building at the Orangeburg County/City Industrial Park.

“We will get more lookers,” she said.

State Rep. Gilda-Cobb Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said, “I think it will have a tremendous impact on Orangeburg County, particularly eastern Orangeburg County because of its proximity to North Charleston. That is not a bad commute.”

Also, “There is an excellent opportunity for spin-offs in Orangeburg County. I think it puts Orangeburg County in a good situation,” she said.

State Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, echoed the sentiment, saying the benefits of economic development are not confined to one county.

Anything that helps one county in the region can help them all, he said. “There will be a tremendous benefit for all of us.”

Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson noted the county already supplies the aviation sector. For instance, Zeus Industries produces advanced polymers for the aviation industry.

Good News!

From CPExecutive.com

Charleston Industrial Market Gets Boost with 1.1MSF BTS Deal
Oct 13, 2009
By: Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

Given that the U.S. recession has left the retail market in shambles and the global financial meltdown has hindered trade activity, demand for distribution and warehouse facilities has taken a major hit, so the big news out of Charleston's industrial market is something that is heard of quite infrequently these days. Rockefeller Group Development Corp. and MeadWestvaco Corp., developers of the 400-acre Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone/Charleston industrial park in Berkeley County, S.C., have just landed a 1.1 million square-foot build-to-suit deal with automotive replacement tires marketer TBC Corp.

Located at the I-26/Jedburg Road interchange near the Port of Charleston--one of the top 10 ports in the country--FTZ/Charleston will ultimately feature multiple buildings totaling 2.7 million square feet. TBC's commitment is the property's first, and the company will utilize the behemoth facility to bring part of its distribution network under one big state-of-the-art umbrella. Real estate services firm Colliers Keenan represented the Rockefeller/MWV development team in the build-to-suit agreement, while Jones Lang LaSalle stood in for TBC.

Local and state officials competed with other states to bring the Rockefeller/MWV project to the port area, where demand for space is expected to grow, partially due to the fact that plans have recently been put in place to increase the Port of Charleston's capacity by 50 percent. The hope is that the TBC facility and the port expansion will attract other businesses to this distribution cluster.

Charleston, however, does not have to wait for the late 2010 completion of the new TBC distribution center to spur recovery of the industrial market; recovery is actually already getting underway. The average vacancy rate in the Charleston area decreased 1.4 percent in the second quarter, while the average vacancy rate for the U.S. increased 1.2 percent," according to reports by real estate services firm Grubb & Ellis. The 120 basis points jump in the national industrial market marked the largest single-quarter increase in the 22-year history of the Grubb & Ellis report.

"Fundamentally, the Charleston market is not unhealthy," Peter Fennelly, vice president with Colliers Keenan, told CPE. "It's not large, roughly 30 million square feet. It has been affected by the changing economy over the last 24 months but we didn't overbuild so there isn't a lot of vacancy in the market; there are very few blocks of large space available." The recent hiring of a new CEO for the South Carolina Ports Authority, he added, is also providing confidence in the market. Other positive signs pointing to the commencement of a turnaround include increased absorption due to dropping lease rates, and the rebounding of the local housing market.

Construction of TBC's new distribution center is on track to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

South Carolina Dept. of Commerce is helping to market Jafza Magna Park

Click here to visit the South Carolina Department of Commerce website.

Jafza reviews North American project

by Robeel Haq on Oct 7, 2009

Jafza International has announced a revised plan for its ambitious development in North America, with the groundbreaking of phase one being scheduled for the first quarter of next year.

During its initial stage, the project is expected to focus on warehousing and distribution, light manufacturing and office space, covering a reported 200 acres from the 1324 acres that Jafza International purchased in Orangeburg, South Carolina, two years ago.

“We’ve had a market-driven concept for this project, and of course, given the economic downturn we’ve all experienced, we thought it prudent to start small and grow as the economy strengthens,” explained Chuck Health, managing director of Jafza International.

A marketing campaign for the complex, which commenced at the recent Third Party Logistics Summit in Atlanta, will also extend to Dubai, with an initial focus on companies that operate in Jebel Ali Free Zone.

“We are actively soliciting clients and have seven or eight prospects in the Americas and Europe, so things are getting interesting,” said Heath. “We have also prepared for a new campaign in Dubai this month.”

Jafza International changes development plans

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Jafza International changes development plans

By Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Sept. 21, 2009

Jafza International has retooled its Phase 1 development plan for the massive logistics and warehousing complex the company has proposed for rural Santee.

Project map Jafza is currently marketing four separate parcels of land on the outskirts of its 1,300-acre property. The plots highlighted in yellow on this map are available immediately for light manufacturing, warehousing and logistics space.

They are (from left to right):

· A 49.3-acre parcel near Santee’s Town Hall building.

· A 75.6-acre parcel located adjacent to the Santee Outlet Mall.

· A 90.6-acre parcel on Intracoastal Lane.

· A 55.9-acre parcel off Resort Street.

Originally, Jafza had planned to put a 135-acre parcel in the center of its land on the market first and secure an anchor tenant for the project. But those plans are on hold as government officials attempt to secure millions of dollars for necessary road improvements.

The original Phase 1 project requires the addition of an interchange on Interstate 95 so that U.S. Highway 301 can be accessed from the interstate’s northbound lane. It also requires the extension of U.S. Highway 301 east of I-95 to S.C. Highway 6. Combined, these projects are expected to cost up to $60 million.

Jafza and Orangeburg County officials are projecting that the road project will be completed by 2012.

Market materials outlining the revised development plans were sent out last week to 1,200 customers worldwide, a company spokeswoman said.

In total, Jafza International, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is planning 4 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space, to be a hub for storage, processing and then transportation of goods shipped through the Port of Charleston.

The company announced its aggressive development plans in November, but economic conditions have slowed projections. Jafza is not building on a speculative basis and only plans to erect buildings once a tenant is secured, company officials have said.

Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.

Plan aims to foster logistics

By T&D Staff Sunday, September 06, 2009

A Columbia-based public/private economic development partnership launched a “strategic communications” plan to help bolster the state’s Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) Cluster.

The plan was unveiled at the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association’s recent fall membership meeting.

The cluster’s plan was presented to a crowd of 150 economic development leaders from across the state.

The TDL cluster consists of World Trade City Orangeburg and the Orangeburg County Development Commission. The cluster has about 40 participants.

“The purpose of the plan is to promote a greater understanding of the critical nature of the cluster and its impact on South Carolina’s overall economy,” Cluster Co-Chair Deepal Eliatamby, president of Alliance Consulting Engineers, said.

Over the next six months, the TDL Cluster plans to present the plan at events in Orangeburg.

The plan outlines five main goals and strategies to accomplish over the course of the next 18 months, including raising awareness and recruiting stakeholders; marketing the importance of the cluster; establishing a TDL council composed of industry and government members; and raising funds to support the cluster’s growth, development, and projects.

Launched in February 2008 under the guidance of New Carolina -- also known as the S.C. Council on Competitiveness -- TDL was formed to provide a formal structure for transportation, distribution, and logistics companies to collaborate and address issues impacting the state’s industry.

The TDL Cluster has been working over the past year to develop a strategic communications plan that industry leaders identified was needed at a statewide summit held in May 2008.

Jafza Update August 25th 2009

Here are some of my observations and impressions of the Jafza Update on August 25th, 2009.

At the Orangeburg Lunch Rotary Club meeting last week, Tara Roberton form Jafza gave an update on their project in Santee. Tara is the spokeswomen for Jafza.

Important points:

1. New Name - Jafza Magna Park, Santee, SC
The new name suggests closer ties between Gazeley and the Jafza USA development team.

2. Change of development plan -
Jafza is going to focus on developing 4 tracts of land that comprise 200 acres. These parcels will require less infrastructure and can be developed almost immediately.

3. Marketing - Jafza is kicking off a new marketing campaign. They will be looking for both domestic and foreign clients for Santee.

4. Ground breaking 1st Quarter 2010.

I think that delays in funding for the I-95 exit 97 upgrade and the extension of US 301 have contributed to Jafza having to change it plans. Another contributing factor is the lack of demand for warehouse and logistic space. As the global economy grows and products begin to be traded again internationally, Jafza Magna Park will grow and become a reality.

Ron