James Business Park to get 49,800 S.F. construction project

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 28, 2008

ST. ROSE — Sealy & Company Inc., one of the largest private industrial real estate owners in the Southeast, recently announced that it has been awarded a build-to-suit contract on a long term lease to CEVA Freight LLC to develop a $4.4 million 49,800 square foot, dock high, service center  in the James Business park.

Named Sealy Business Center III, the one-story Class A warehouse distribution building with surface parking and wide truck courts will be built on a 3.8 acre parcel of land the company owns in James Business Park.

Construction will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in December of 2008. Jennifer A. Lee, CCIM, SIOR, Sealy’s Director of Marketing & Leasing negotiated the deal.

 Daniel P. Poulin, Senior Regional Director and Partner in the development, commented, “We are pleased to be developing and further expanding our pre-leased development pipeline. I congratulate our team for their hard work and continued success in leveraging our experience with industrial users to deliver another pre-leased development project. We thank CEVA Freight LLC for their confidence in Sealy & Company, Inc.”

CEVA Freight LLC combines the heritage of two great companies, TNT Logistics and EGL Eagle Global Logistics, which merged in August 2007.

CEVA employs more than 52,000 people and operates an extensive global network with facilities in over 100 countries worldwide, operating 614 warehouses around the globe summing a combined space of approximately 77 million square feet. For fiscal year 2006, CEVA reported combined pro forma sales of ? 6 billion. CEVA is owned by affiliates of Apollo Management L.P., one of the leading private equity investors in the world, and is recognized by its customers for superior supply chain management processes that make their business flow.  

James Business Park is a 200 acre master-planned office and light industrial park located between the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and I-310. James Business Park is the premier business park in metropolitan New Orleans and presently houses over 100 companies in 48 office, industrial and service centers and flex facilities. All development in the park is controlled by protective covenants to ensure its aesthetic integrity. Sealy & Company Inc. currently operates 17 buildings totaling 1.1 million square feet in the park. According to Poulin, tenants are attracted to the park because of its close proximity to the airport and interstate, as well as the superior school system and work force of St. Charles Parish and affordable housing there.

Established in 1946, the Sealy Companies is a Shreveport, Louisiana based real estate management, leasing, development and investment company that owns, develops and operates office and industrial properties in Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Arizona and Georgia.

Sealy & Grant L.P., the company’s development arm, will coordinate development of Sealy Business Center III and has hired Design Build Group LLC of New Orleans as its design-build contractor. Sealy & Grant L.P. was formed to meet the sophisticated development needs of Sealy & Company Inc.’s customers and capitalizes on the growing development market while providing cost-effective, streamlined development and expansion services.

For more information, please contact Daniel P. Poulin, CCIM, SIOR, Senior Regional Director, Sealy & Company, Inc., at (504) 463-5600 or at danp@sealynet.com.

I have attached a pdf copy of the release and rendering of the new facility. I am also, sending a hard copy to your office. Please let me know if you need any other information.

Thanks so much, we look forward to reading our exciting news in your report!

Ali Durso

Sealy & Company, Inc.

150 James Drive  East, Suite 140

St. Rose, LA 70087

allisond@sealynet.com

Office- (504) 463-5600     Fax- (504) 463-5650