Industrial Update, 2010

Published Friday Jan 1st, 2010

Warehouse/industrial activity remained slow during 2009 and 2010 will likely be slow as well. Occupancy overall remained stable in 2009 compared to 2008.

The inventory of available buildings under 50,000 sf increased again in 2009. Thus, prospects will have more choices in the market.

Highlights of Industrial activity in 2009 include:

• Trane Company leased the 30,000 sf H D Supply Building at 125 Macon West Drive.
• ROOKER completed a 100,000 sf speculative building in the Ocmulee East Industrial Park. Spaces are available from 22,000 to 77,000 sf.
• The 200,000 sf Wal-Mart Distribution Building at 3235 Avondale Mill Rd was vacated.
• The 40,000 sf building at 411 Holt Ave was purchased by Habitat for Humanity.
• The Macon/Bibb County Industrial Authority has acquired two tracts of land for future industrial sites. The 124 acre site on Avondale Mill Rd and the 125 acre site on Fulton Mill Rd are zoned M-2, Light Industrial. Utilities are on site or nearby. The sites are listed for $27,500 per acre.
• The 660 acre Sofkee Industrial Park in south Bibb County was awarded the first “certified site” designation in the state. The Industrial Authority completed the G.R.A.D. (Guaranteed Ready for Accelerated Development) process in 2008.

According to the Macon Economic Development Commission, the public private group responsible for recruiting and retaining business and industry in Macon and Bibb County, industrial project activity slowed slightly in the 2008 and 2009, but was above the average annual numbers experienced in the years 2000-2004. There were 55 new projects opened in 2009 compared to 56 in 2008. Of the 55 projects opened in 2009; 35 were manufacturing and 9 were distribution with 4 shared service centers (back office call centers). The average space requirement by industrial prospects was approximately 150,000 sf.

Industrial prospects for 2010 are encouraging. Industry segments that are forecast to have good activity in 2010 and beyond include: warehouse/distribution/logistics, food processing, aviation/aerospace, shared services, manufacturing and automotive suppliers.

Prospects still cite Macon’s advantages as location (close proximity to the Port of Savannah and Atlanta’s Airport) and workforce (available, affordable and trained).