Improving Business in the Wilmington Region

PENDER COMMERCE PARK CONTINUES ATTRACTING INTEREST AND INVESTMENT

Pender Commerce Park has gained significant attention for its string of notable announcements, establishing itself as a prominent business hub in the State of North Carolina. The park now boasts an impressive portfolio, encompassing over one million square feet of industrial space, attracting over half a billion dollars in private capital investment and touting over 1,000 jobs. Among its notable investors since 2014 are leading global companies such as Amazon, Maersk, and The Home Depot.

“Pender Commerce Park has become Pender County’s gateway to the global economy,” says Brad George, Chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners. Leveraging its convenient proximity to multi-modal transportation assets like I-140, Wilmington International Airport and the Port of Wilmington, the property has attracted attention from companies, consultants and investors eager to connect to worldwide business opportunities. “This key piece of real estate has helped put our county on the short list of leading destinations for jobs and companies,” George says.

The park’s list of industrial tenants includes high-growth international names like Polyhose. Established in 1996 and based in Chennai, India, the industrial equipment supplier selected Pender Commerce Park for its North American assembly and logistics operations in November 2019. By February 2024, it was poised to commence the second phase of its vision, announcing plans to double its square footage and initiate additional hiring. Polyhose also recently committed to a neighboring parcel in the park to accommodate downrange needs as the company grows its presence in North American markets.

“Polyhose performs 100 percent of the time – that’s our mission statement, and we’re proud to bring that mission to our North American customer base,” says Mo Millwala, president of Polyhose Inc. Since arriving in Greater Wilmington, the company has grown its brand presence in the U.S. and neighboring countries. “As we are getting more situated in North America, more opportunities are coming our way,” Millwala says. “We are also leveraging our existing relationships to grow our business in North America.”

Polyhose’s expansion coincides with the occupancy surge of its neighbor, Ramm Capital Partners LLC, headquartered in Winston-Salem. The Home Depot, Lansing Building Products and One Banana have each signed leases for space at the 144,900-square-foot industrial building Ramm has developed at Pender Commerce Park. These companies plan to establish distribution operations within the facility, marking Ramm’s second investment within the business park.

“We just wrapped up construction of our latest building, 310 N. Corporate Drive, and I’m pleased to announce it’s 100% leased,” reports Chris Ramm, Manager of Ramm Capital Partners. “It’s such a great park. The infrastructure is fantastic. The timing when they built it was ahead of the curve,” Ramm says. Ramm credits the park’s excellent planning and infrastructure for its success. Sound positioning ahead of the post-pandemic re-shoring also helped. “The market has exploded – Pender County and WBD’s forethought was right on,” Ramm adds. He also cites successful collaboration among WBD, Cape Fear Commercial and Landmark Builders. “It’s been fantastic,” he says. “All of our development partners have worked very well together, delivering another project we can all be proud of.”

Behind Ramm’s second building is the region’s largest cold storage facility. RL Cold developed the $110 million facility with support from WBD. Maersk, the largest transportation company in the world, is now leasing roughly 300,000 square feet there. The state-of-the-art asset will drive new business at North Carolina Ports and brings a global dimension to Southeastern North Carolina’s massive consumer foods industry. The state is a longtime national leader in sweet potato cultivation, for example, and ranks #3 in pork production and #7 in poultry. RL Cold’s facility is strategically situated within 80 miles of 27 refrigerated commodity production sites, with tenants able to reach 225 million consumers in no more than two days transit.

Additional opportunities are emerging at Pender Commerce Park as county officials collaborate with WBD to attract more jobs and businesses to this pivotal economic development asset.