Ecolab has broken ground on the first phase of the 550-acre High Point North Industrial Park in High Point, N.C.
Planned on 113 acres, the future customer care center warehouse will exceed 1 million square feet. Upon completion, the project will be the largest industrial building in High Point.
Earlier this month, developer PNK Group acquired the site from D.H. Griffin Cos. for $16.5 million.
To support Ecolab’s project, Guilford County and High Point have authorized cash incentives of $457,445 and $414,863, respectively.
The company is the first to establish a location within the High Point North Industrial Park. Ecolab announced the project in June, as an expansion of its manufacturing operations in Greensboro, N.C., located 2 miles from the new warehouse. Upon completion, the project will be the company’s largest distribution facility, taking over operations from the current site in Winston-Salem. Some 100 employees are currently working at the location.
Ecolab will initially occupy 825,400 square feet at the new facility, with the remaining space open for expansion. The warehouse will support The Kay Chemical Co., Ecolab’s largest division.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by company and government officials, project partners and business leaders. Some people in attendance included Commissioner Chairman Skip Alston, Mayor Jay Wagner and High Point Economic Development Corp. Director Sandy Dunbeck.
Situated on Sandy Ridge Road, the new facility is set to open by the end of 2023, employing 125 warehouse and fulfillment workers.
Industrial transactions in the area
North Carolina has seen many industrial deals this year. Recently, Westcore entered the North Carolina Market acquiring two industrial buildings for $36.9 million. The Winston-Salem portfolio was purchased from Front Street Capital.
DRA Advisors also acquired a four-property industrial portfolio in the area for $71 million. The seller, Rialto Capital Management, had owned the 88 percent occupied asset for three years before the deal.