Post Consumer Brands, LLC, a global food company that has been making “breakfast for everyone” for more than a century, was looking to expand and streamline its distribution operations. CRA was tasked with finding a larger and more efficient food grade distribution center located in the Southeast. The location had to be accessible to all types of transportation systems and accommodate finished product for regional and national distribution. Post was also working to improve efficiencies, reduce time to market, and measurably minimize operating costs. With transportation costs increasing, Post hoped to use this as an opportunity to minimize distribution costs while increasing market share and anticipating future growth. Retaining experienced team members (employees) and having access to new quality team members to match its growth was another major objective.
CRA’s experienced tenant representation and logistics team began extensively researching the Southeast for the most accessible and efficient distribution routes and systems (OTR and Rail), and matching those systems with the right-size existing and build-to-suit opportunities in multiple areas in and around the Atlanta, GA market. Concurrently, CRA paired Post’s distribution objectives and right-sized facility requirements with the most favorable economic incentive package available that would accomplish all the goals of this project. CRA swiftly identified a new build-to-suit, 703,080 square foot opportunity, with the ability to increase the footprint of the building by approximately 547,242 square feet for a lean operating capacity total of 1,250,322 square feet in the ever-growing Southeast market.
With CRA’s speed to market and real-time data response capabilities, Post leveraged multiple market opportunities with qualifying incentive packages, by conducting research and interviewing a combination of local, regional and national developers and economic development offices. Post quickly identified a new, Class-A, state-of-the-art market opportunity with the ability to grow with their needs, rather than committing today’s capital to projected growth. Post actively participated in the design process, ensuring the new facility will remain a flexible and viable, long-term, lean performing distribution center.