A rendering of the distribution center at Graymont Industrial Park, formerly known as East Coast Commerce Center. (Images courtesy Hanover County)
After losing a would-be tenant to a facility in South Richmond, a distribution center built on spec in Hanover County has landed an occupant in the form of a national wholesale accessories and apparel supplier.
SanMar Corp. announced it is taking the 1.1 million-square-foot center recently built at Hanover’s Graymont Industrial Park site. The facility will be the company’s ninth distribution center in the country and serve as its primary East Coast distribution hub.
With headquarters in Washington state, SanMar produces T-shirts and supplies wholesale imprintable clothing and accessories. The 50-year-old business sells apparel from more than 30 brands and employs more than 5,000 workers in the United States, according to the company’s announcement that went out Thursday.
The company has committed to investing at least $50 million into the Hanover facility, which will employ nearly 1,000 workers once it is built out to full capacity. Forty employees already have been hired for the location through job postings seen on various websites last month.
The roughly 200-acre site is north of Hickory Hill Road along the west side of Interstate 95.
At 1.1 million square feet, the Hanover facility will be SanMar’s largest distribution center, according to a release from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office. Virginia competed with North Carolina for the project, with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership working with Hanover County and Port of Virginia to secure it.
SanMar is eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program for the project, the release stated.
SanMar’s selection of the facility comes about 18 months after its previously planned tenant, home improvement retail giant Lowe’s, opted out of the project in favor of a comparably sized facility at Deepwater Industrial Park in South Richmond.
The change left the developer, Indiana-based Becknell Industrial, to complete the $50 million Hanover project on spec, following a half-year delay because of a stop-work order that the county issued in light of land disturbance work starting before permits had been issued.
Site work on the project, shown in October 2021, resumed after a half-year delay because of a county stop-work order.
An entity tied to Becknell purchased the two-parcel property for about $4.7 million in 2021 from an entity tied to New York-based Raith Capital Partners and Massachusetts-based Equity Industrial Partners. The roughly 200-acre site, which includes the former Camptown Races horse racing track, is north of Hickory Hill Road along the west side of Interstate 95, just north of Ashland.
SanMar’s announcement included comments from SanMar CEO Jeremy Lott, who said the site was selected as much for Hanover’s community and culture as for its labor market and logistics. He called the community “the right culture fit” for the company as its looks to expand.
Meanwhile, the Lowe’s distribution center at Deepwater Industrial Park is in new hands after selling in November for $127 million. The 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse at 3021 Commerce Road was developed by Richmond-based Hourigan, which sold the 110-acre property to Realty Income Corp., a publicly traded REIT based in California.
A rendering of the distribution center at Graymont Industrial Park, formerly known as East Coast Commerce Center. (Images courtesy Hanover County)
After losing a would-be tenant to a facility in South Richmond, a distribution center built on spec in Hanover County has landed an occupant in the form of a national wholesale accessories and apparel supplier.
SanMar Corp. announced it is taking the 1.1 million-square-foot center recently built at Hanover’s Graymont Industrial Park site. The facility will be the company’s ninth distribution center in the country and serve as its primary East Coast distribution hub.
With headquarters in Washington state, SanMar produces T-shirts and supplies wholesale imprintable clothing and accessories. The 50-year-old business sells apparel from more than 30 brands and employs more than 5,000 workers in the United States, according to the company’s announcement that went out Thursday.
The company has committed to investing at least $50 million into the Hanover facility, which will employ nearly 1,000 workers once it is built out to full capacity. Forty employees already have been hired for the location through job postings seen on various websites last month.
The roughly 200-acre site is north of Hickory Hill Road along the west side of Interstate 95.
At 1.1 million square feet, the Hanover facility will be SanMar’s largest distribution center, according to a release from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office. Virginia competed with North Carolina for the project, with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership working with Hanover County and Port of Virginia to secure it.
SanMar is eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program for the project, the release stated.
SanMar’s selection of the facility comes about 18 months after its previously planned tenant, home improvement retail giant Lowe’s, opted out of the project in favor of a comparably sized facility at Deepwater Industrial Park in South Richmond.
The change left the developer, Indiana-based Becknell Industrial, to complete the $50 million Hanover project on spec, following a half-year delay because of a stop-work order that the county issued in light of land disturbance work starting before permits had been issued.
Site work on the project, shown in October 2021, resumed after a half-year delay because of a county stop-work order.
An entity tied to Becknell purchased the two-parcel property for about $4.7 million in 2021 from an entity tied to New York-based Raith Capital Partners and Massachusetts-based Equity Industrial Partners. The roughly 200-acre site, which includes the former Camptown Races horse racing track, is north of Hickory Hill Road along the west side of Interstate 95, just north of Ashland.
SanMar’s announcement included comments from SanMar CEO Jeremy Lott, who said the site was selected as much for Hanover’s community and culture as for its labor market and logistics. He called the community “the right culture fit” for the company as its looks to expand.
Meanwhile, the Lowe’s distribution center at Deepwater Industrial Park is in new hands after selling in November for $127 million. The 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse at 3021 Commerce Road was developed by Richmond-based Hourigan, which sold the 110-acre property to Realty Income Corp., a publicly traded REIT based in California.
I assume it’s truck traffic will use the interchange to the north instead of traversing the Town itself?that intersection of Rtes 1 and 54 is a mess at all hours. The Town should consider extending Carter Hill Parkway to relieve the backups and provide truck traffic another access to the interstate.