News and Announcements
Amazon Moves Ahead with Second Facility at Pender Commerce Park
October 31, 2025
It’s been six months since regional leaders joined executives from Amazon [Nasdaq: AMZN] in celebrating the Seattle-based retailer’s plans for a massive, robotics-driven fulfillment center at Pender Commerce Park that will support its southeastern U.S. business. More recently, company officials also commenced work nearby on a “last-mile” delivery station that will directly serve Amazon’s Greater Wilmington customers.
“Construction of this 3 million-sq.-ft. fulfillment center is progressing tremendously,” says Sam Blatt, Amazon’s Senior Manager of Economic Development ... Continue Reading
Polyhose Expansion at Pender Commerce Park Supports U.S. Customers
Polyhose, the India-based maker of industrial tubing and hoses, announced its initial plans for a U.S. location at Pender Commerce Park in late 2019. Less than five years later, the company began moving into Phase 2 of its strategy – doubling its initial footprint and adding workers. Phase 2 is now complete, and President Mo Millwala says the company’s Wilmington operations support the sustained growth of its U.S. business.
“The expansion is now complete,” Millwala ... Continue Reading
Kesseböhmer Completes Phase I of Consolidated U.S. Headquarters
It’s been two years since Kesseböhmer announced plans for a consolidated U.S. headquarters in New Hanover County. The privately held metalworks company had previously operated out of downtown Wilmington office space and a leased warehouse in Leland. Its decision to build a $29 million facility off U.S. Highway 421 was an opportunity to create efficient, well-positioned operations in support of its growing market for retail merchandizing displays.
“The Phase 1 building is complete and we’ve moved ... Continue Reading
Milam Assumes Chairmanship of WBD; Two Business Leaders Join Board
WBD’s leadership ranks have always read like a Who’s Who of influential business names, and this summer saw fresh perspective added to the WBD board of directors with the addition of CEOs from two fast-growing national companies. At the same time, a seasoned WBD member and regional real estate icon stepped up to assume the important role of Board Chairman.
The new directors include Ryan Legg, CEO of MegaCorp Logistics, one of America’s top freight ... Continue Reading
HITTING THE MARK
When our supporters gathered for the 2025 WBD Invitational in mid-October, they were met with a blend of old and new.
The tournament, as always, was a memorable event featuring world-class golf, great food and meaningful fellowship. Proceeds from the event are a reliable source of funding for regional marketing and recruitment programs, and this year was no different. The scene – the serene, moss-draped landscapes at River Landing – was also very familiar to attendees.
But ... Continue Reading
Mapping Out Industry Along U.S. 421
October 7, 2025
Credit : WilmingtonBiz Magazine
By Emma Dill, posted Sep 23, 2025
In the early 2000s, McKinley “Ken” Dull looked out at the stretch of U.S. 421 that runs from downtown Wilmington to the New Hanover-Pender county line and saw potential.
When businesses came to Dull looking for a spot to build a new industrial facility, he’d take them to that stretch of U.S. 421 and ask them to keep an open mind. Dull is the founder of McKinley ... Continue Reading
Live Oak Bank to be Corporate Sponsor of WBD Invitational
July 8, 2025
Plans for WBD’s 2025 Invitational golf tournament are well underway, with 75 teams set to compete on October 16th at River Landing Country Club. Live Oak Bank will be the Corporate Sponsor of this year’s event, which forges fellowship among the region’s business leadership while raising funds to fuel Greater Wilmington’s marketing and recruitment programs.
Longtime Wilmington banking leader Brad Neigel, head of Live Oak Bank’s Wilmington Commercial Banking Team, says the sponsorship is an important ... Continue Reading
Holly Shelter Road Property Dubbed Certified Site
Leveraging close collaboration with partners and allies, New Hanover County’s investment in approximately 300 acres off Holly Shelter Road is already yielding encouraging results. After extensive assessments of the land, Duke Energy and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) have stated that it is well on the way to shovel-ready status, leading towards a full-throated marketing effort by local and state business recruiters, utility representatives and allied site-selection entities as infrastructure builds towards ... Continue Reading
Protocase Exceeds Expectations in Ramp-Up of Wilmington Operations
Barely a year after arriving in Wilmington, Canadian manufacturer Protocase is well ahead of initial estimates for establishing its first U.S. presence. Protocase and its subsidiaries launched the first phase of their U.S. expansion in the Port City with 5,100-sq.-ft. of office space at downtown Wilmington’s Skyline Center. Since then, the company has moved quickly to hire, secure production space and begin serving U.S. clients.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Nova Scotia, Protocase is a ... Continue Reading
Wilmington Trade Center Breaks Ground On Next Phase
May 22, 2025
May 15, 2025
Credit: Wilmington Biz, Emma Dill
The first phase of Wilmington Trade Center, a master planned industrial park on U.S. 421, recently wrapped up, while work on the next phase is now underway.
Officials with project developer Edgewater Ventures and local leaders marked the progress with a groundbreaking event Thursday. The park’s 100,080-square-foot Building 3 was completed in the past few weeks, and leases for the building are under negotiation, said Chris Norvell, a principal with ... Continue Reading
