A&R Logistics Anchor Tenant at OmniTRAX’s SGIH

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Affiliates of OmniTRAX, Inc. and The Broe Group have signed A&R Logistics, Inc. as anchor tenant at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub (SGIH), a master-planned, 2,750-acre industrial park owned by Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA) with the capacity to accommodate up to 18 million square feet of industrial space.

OmniTRAX is SGIH’s master developer. The 12-year A&R Logistics lease secures approximately 610,000 square feet of the park’s initial one million square-foot, build-to-suit project and includes an option to lease the remaining space.

In addition to A&R facility, OmniTRAX will construct more than seven miles of rail infrastructure, a multi-customer centrally located OmniTRAX rail yard and a 200-plus-car dedicated yard. This infrastructure will connect SGIH tenants to CSX and Norfolk Southern.

A&R Logistics’ SGIH facility will house a multi-line production center to support its logistics operations that serve plastics producers worldwide. A&R’s global export operations will include receipt of inbound materials, packaging and outbound shipment to international destinations.

Construction and development is slated for a fourth-quarter 2020 completion.

“With its strategic location near both Class I’s and the Port of Savannah, SGIH optimizes logistics efficiency to deliver tenants some of the lowest operational costs in the country,” OmniTRAX noted. “SGIH’s development supports the Georgia Port Authority’s freight growth goals by providing a major solution for the market’s dire need for warehouses and industrial property, while further cultivating regional port-based commerce. The park development is the collaborative result of a large consortium of community partners from local, county and state officials.”

Located 12 miles away from SGIH, the Port of Savannah, operated by Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), is the largest container terminal in the U.S., “consistently attracting the largest ships with the largest number of sailings and first-stop advantages,” according to GPA Chief Commercial Officer Cliff Pyron. “Demand for rail service is outpacing the rate of growth for overall container trade, which itself has seen record volumes.”

Pyron added that, to stay ahead of demand, GPA is conducting a $220 million expansion of its rail infrastructure. “The Mason Mega Rail Terminal will be the largest on-dock rail facility at any port in North America, allowing Garden City Terminal to grow overall volumes without congestion at the truck gates,” he noted.

“We are excited to partner with A&R to kick off development of SGIH with a rail-served facility that will serve A&R’s current and future needs,” said BREG Executive Vice President Reagan Shanley. “The project includes building Georgia’s first industrial switching railroad with dual Class I connections in more than 50 years, and will help us drive Effingham County growth for many years to come.”

“With the ability to accommodate industrial operations and corporate campuses, SGIH will provide world-class operational efficiency and supply chain access to North America and the world,” said OmniTRAX CEO Kevin Shuba. “SGIH combines the best of Savannah’s build-to-suit industrial land with dual Class I rail service, convenient highway infrastructure and easy, efficient access to the Port of Savannah. SGIH is poised to be the eastern seaboard’s premier industrial park, and A&R is the ideal anchor tenant to demonstrate the supply chain advantages that SGIH offers.”

“Our customers are some of the largest chemical companies in world, with very complex supply chain requirements,” noted A&R Logistics President and CEO Mark Holden. “SGIH’s dual-served park provides the ideal site and service to support our customers’ needs.”

“Broe Real Estate Group and OmniTRAX bring a unique blend of experience, resources and relationships to make this park possible and create a vibrant industrial community,” said ECIDA CEO Brandt Herndon. “SGIH will bring jobs, economic impact and long-term value to Effingham County and the region.”

“Effingham County is experiencing a tremendous amount of industrial development as the market continues to grow,” said David Sink, Principal at project broker Colliers International. “SGIH’s location along the Highway 21 corridor is well-positioned for long-term growth that will be further enhanced by the future Effingham Parkway.”

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