An industrial packaging supplier for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International has moved into a larger space in Shelby County.

Kontane Logistics Inc. has opened in a new facility at 500 Alabama 70 in Columbiana after an extensive renovation project led by Graham & Co. The company, which provides wood crates to MBUSI, is taking space in a portion of the former Vulcan Coatings building.

Founded in 1975 in Hickory, North Carolina, Kontane Logistics expanded in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. The family-owned business provides packaging, crating and logistics services.

Kontane had to expand quickly to accommodate Mercedes, and due to the tight industrial market in metro Birmingham, project leaders were skeptical whether they could pull it off under the given timeframe. They credit several key players in making it happen, including Bob Garunovic, general manager at Kontane; David Mitchell, mayor of Columbiana; Dale Lucas, director of planning and zoning at Columbiana; Philip Crunk, development services at Shelby County; and Jackson Pruett, senior project manager at 58 Inc.

“Columbiana and its spacious industrial park is centrally located to support four world-class auto manufacturers within 40 – 100 miles of our city,” Mitchell said. “To that end, we are pleased to welcome auto supplier, Kontane Logistics, and their employees to our community. We are excited about what they bring to our city, its industrial park, and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship, a first step in helping Columbiana become a hub for auto suppliers in the state of Alabama.”

Kontane had been operating in Calera for several years before the move. Its previous location has been backfilled by a new occupant.

“We worked with Kontane when they originally moved to Shelby Commerce Park five years ago,” said Ogden Deaton, senior vice president at Graham & Co. “When they needed a freestanding warehouse, they wanted to stay in Shelby County due to the workforce, and together we found an available warehouse.”