Logistics company Kenco is building-out a Northwest Jacksonville warehouse at Park 295 Industrial Park.
The city issued a permit Oct. 30 for James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction Co. Inc. to make tenant improvements in the 217,268-square-foot Building E at 2895 Ignition Drive at a project cost of almost $4.44 million.
Plans refer to it as Project Charge. Plans include a multilevel charging rack. Sources say it will distribute, but not manufacture, batteries.
Tenant improvements call it an office build-out and warehouse electrical upgrades. A project description refers to customized freight delivery, storage and inventory management.
Kevin Grigson, Kenco senior vice president, said Oct. 6 that Jacksonville is one of several locations opening across the U.S.
“Kenco cannot disclose the specific customer but can share that they reside in the Durable Consumer Products industry. All employees at the building will be employed by Kenco Logistics Services,” he said.
Grigson said Kenco’s customer “is undergoing a large-scale supply chain transformation to position product closer to their distributors.”
“This move will help them deliver product to their distributors with shorter lead time and in a more cost-effective manner. Transportation costs are also a determining factor in location selection,” he said.
The Jacksonville facility will serve distributors in the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
“Jacksonville made the most sense to serve this region of the country in terms proximity to their distributors, transportation costs, real estate and labor availability.”
Grigson said Kenco Logistics will have 25 to 30 employees, including management, lift truck operators, clerical and administrative staff, and more.
Plans show 28 dock doors and two drive-in doors.
Kenco is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Kencogroup.com describes itself as a third-party logistics service provider.
Since its first contract in 1969, Kenco has grown to manage more than 100 distribution facilities in 33 states to serve more than 350 clients, according to the website.
It has facilities in Orlando and Miami.
Kenco’s logistics includes distribution and e-commerce fulfillment, comprehensive transportation management, MHE (material handling equipment), fleet services, and data-driven supply chain solutions.
The Jacksonville plans show that Vannoy Construction of Jefferson, North Carolina, is the contractor. StudioNorth Architecture of Kansas City, Missouri, is the architect. Codes-ABC Inc. of Orange Park handled code compliance.
NorthPoint Development of Kansas City is the developer.
The city issued a permit Oct. 24, 2022, for NorthPoint Development to build the 217,268-square-foot industrial shell Building E at a project cost of almost $11.42 million. Vannoy was the contractor.
The city had issued a foundation permit in May 2022 at a construction cost of $1.53 million, boosting the project to almost $13 million. The Kenco build-out increases that to more than $17 million.
The structure is on 12.32 acres at southwest Interstate 295 and Duval Road in Northwest Jacksonville.
The 175-acre Park 295 has 139 developable acres. Park 295 owners plan about 1.7 million square feet of industrial development among five buildings.
Newmark Phoenix Realty Group Director Richard Antczak, President and principal John Richardson and Senior Vice President and principal Ladson Montgomery are the agents and the landlord representatives.
Mark Scott, partner with Foundry Commercial in Jacksonville, and Barrett Bukfin, a principal with Cresa real estate services in Dallas, represented Kenco Logistics.