Ukrop’s Dress Express will move into a new facility in Chesterfield County. Photo courtesy of Colliers International.
A local company tied to one of Richmond’s most well-known families is now its own landlord.
Uniform manufacturer Ukrop’s Dress Express recently paid $3.05 million to purchase a 72,000-square-foot office and warehouse building at 14201 Sommerville Court in Chesterfield County, where it intends to relocate its staff of around 50 employees from its current location on Commerce Road in the city.
The deal, which closed Oct. 8, marks the company’s first step into property ownership since it spun off 17 years ago from the Ukrop’s Super Market brand.
The company is run by CEO John Carrico. Brothers Jim and Bobby Ukrop remain investors in the firm. Carrico said the company had been seeking a new home for about two to three years, as it has experienced post-recession growth.
“We were very fortunate,” Carrico said. “We wanted to find a more permanent home, but more so to have space where we could grow.”
The new building gives Dress Express about twice as much office and warehouse space than its current 5160 Commerce Road building. It plans to move in the spring, following more than $500,000 worth of renovations. A general contractor has not yet been selected for the work.
Dress Express largely serves retail grocery stores, including Harris Teeter and Wegman’s, along with Hy-Vee in the Midwest and HEB in Texas. It also supplies uniforms to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which owns 17 theme parks, including Kings Dominion.
Two years ago, Dress Express also landed a contract with SeaWorld Parks, launching its 50th anniversary with a new uniform apparel program.
Carrico attributed Dress Express’ recent growth to an upswing in the economy. Over recent years, companies have been expanding more and need uniforms for their employees, he said. But it helped that Dress Express was in a good position coming out of the recession, he added.
“One of our core customer groups were retail groceries,” he said. “During recessions, folks stop going to restaurants, but you still have to go to the grocery store. We served as close to a recession-resistant industry as we could have. We were lucky and fortunate there.”
It was also helped by its careful expansion strategy and the fact that it was debt-free, he said.
The company is now looking to move into a new industry, this time fast-casual dining.
The property on Sommerville Court sits on 7 acres, allowing ample room for Dress Express to eventually expand.
An LLC tied to Premier Pet Products previously owned the building, before it was acquired by a larger competitor in 2010. Jason Hetherington and David Williams of Colliers International represented the seller while Charlie Polk of JLL represented Dress Express.
Ukrop’s Dress Express will move into a new facility in Chesterfield County. Photo courtesy of Colliers International.
A local company tied to one of Richmond’s most well-known families is now its own landlord.
Uniform manufacturer Ukrop’s Dress Express recently paid $3.05 million to purchase a 72,000-square-foot office and warehouse building at 14201 Sommerville Court in Chesterfield County, where it intends to relocate its staff of around 50 employees from its current location on Commerce Road in the city.
The deal, which closed Oct. 8, marks the company’s first step into property ownership since it spun off 17 years ago from the Ukrop’s Super Market brand.
The company is run by CEO John Carrico. Brothers Jim and Bobby Ukrop remain investors in the firm. Carrico said the company had been seeking a new home for about two to three years, as it has experienced post-recession growth.
“We were very fortunate,” Carrico said. “We wanted to find a more permanent home, but more so to have space where we could grow.”
The new building gives Dress Express about twice as much office and warehouse space than its current 5160 Commerce Road building. It plans to move in the spring, following more than $500,000 worth of renovations. A general contractor has not yet been selected for the work.
Dress Express largely serves retail grocery stores, including Harris Teeter and Wegman’s, along with Hy-Vee in the Midwest and HEB in Texas. It also supplies uniforms to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which owns 17 theme parks, including Kings Dominion.
Two years ago, Dress Express also landed a contract with SeaWorld Parks, launching its 50th anniversary with a new uniform apparel program.
Carrico attributed Dress Express’ recent growth to an upswing in the economy. Over recent years, companies have been expanding more and need uniforms for their employees, he said. But it helped that Dress Express was in a good position coming out of the recession, he added.
“One of our core customer groups were retail groceries,” he said. “During recessions, folks stop going to restaurants, but you still have to go to the grocery store. We served as close to a recession-resistant industry as we could have. We were lucky and fortunate there.”
It was also helped by its careful expansion strategy and the fact that it was debt-free, he said.
The company is now looking to move into a new industry, this time fast-casual dining.
The property on Sommerville Court sits on 7 acres, allowing ample room for Dress Express to eventually expand.
An LLC tied to Premier Pet Products previously owned the building, before it was acquired by a larger competitor in 2010. Jason Hetherington and David Williams of Colliers International represented the seller while Charlie Polk of JLL represented Dress Express.