To fuel its growth plans in Alabama’s Gulf Coast region, Imperial Dade, a distributor of food service packaging and janitorial supplies, is planning a move into a new 220,000-square-foot logistics hub in Baldwin County.

The $20 million project will support the company’s expanding customer base and continued growth along the Gulf Coast.

The logistics hub, developed and owned by I-10/Gulf Coast Logistics Center, will be the first class-A industrial facility in Baldwin County, with Imperial Dade making the move from an existing Loxley location.

“We are thrilled to be building our new facility here in Baldwin County,” said Craig Huey, Loxley branch manager. “This is our home, and we are committed to this community.”

Imperial Dade, which serves 65,000 customers across the United States, is a national leader in specialty distribution, with more than 3,000 employees.

“Imperial Dade’s new facility will support demand across their Gulf Coast footprint and drive the growth in distribution operations in Loxley and throughout Baldwin County,” said Baldwin County Commissioner Joe Davis.

A master-planned industrial park in Mobile, the South Alabama Logistics Park (SALP) will seek to attract warehouse, distribution and manufacturing operations. (Burton Property Group)

South Alabama Logistics Park

Earlier in April, officials in Mobile announced plans for a master-planned industrial park, South Alabama Logistics Park, a new development to attract warehouse, distribution and manufacturing operations.

“With over 6 million square feet planned in Phase 1, this development would not only be the largest in the state but one of the largest in the Southeast,” said Philip Burton, president of Burton Property Group, a Mobile-based real estate development firm.

Burton Property Group is working with Team Mobile on the project. Team Mobile is Alabama Power Co., Alabama State Port Authority, the city of Mobile, Mobile Airport Authority, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Mobile County, Spire and the University of South Alabama.

The 1,300-acre park will be off Interstate Highway 10 near the Theodore Dawes exit, just south of the Amazon sortation center in Mobile County.

At full build-out of the initial phase, Burton estimates the development will exceed $350 million in value.

“The new park offers up new land options for light manufacturing and distribution investments that rely on modern, deep-water seaport terminals for their import/export activities,” said Alabama State Port Authority Director and CEO John Driscoll. “We’re excited by this public/private initiative that will only strengthen the region’s growth opportunities.”

Features include class A industrial warehouse and distribution space for the growing number of shippers and light manufacturers that need to locate in proximity to either the Port of Mobile or Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.

“This is a huge step in continuing our success in economic development,” said David Rodgers, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce vice president of economic development. “Product development is a core focus of what we do, and we must have quality sites ready for the final site selection process.”

The South Alabama Logistics Park is being viewed as a transformative project building on the Port City’s economic development successes with new manufacturing and distribution space. (Burton Property Group)

Growth projects

The projects follow other logistics and distribution hub projects announced for the Mobile-Baldwin region in recent months. Grocery retailer Aldi recently kicked off construction on a $100 million distribution center and regional headquarters in Loxley as part of a project that will create 200 jobs at the 564,000-square-foot facility.

“Loxley is very pleased with the amount of growth we have seen recently,” said Mayor Richard Teal. “Along with new development, we are also seeing existing companies like Imperial Dade continue to grow and thrive.”

“It is exciting to see Imperial Dade expand their business as well as bring new job opportunities for our citizens,” he said.

The Alabama Department of Commerce reports there has been robust activity in the distribution and logistics sector across the state, with large-scale projects from companies including Amazon, Dollar General, Lowe’s Home Improvement and FedEx.

Altogether, these projects announced during 2020 involve more than $500 million in new capital investment and the creation of at least 2,000 jobs in Alabama.

“When it comes to logistics and distribution, Alabama is proving to be a prime location for many major businesses,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“Thanks to our central location in the Southeast, an extensive infrastructure network and a motivated workforce, it looks like all roads are leading to Alabama.”

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.