Author: Graham News Staff

One of Birmingham’s newest law firms has relocated from the Lakeview area to Highland Avenue to accommodate its recent growth.

Compton Jones Dresher is now leasing a new space at 2170 Highland Ave. S., Suite 250. It moved from an approximately 1500-square-foot location at 3100 Fifth Ave. S. in early November and is expecting to wrap up the move to its new location in January. The new office space is approximately 5,000 square feet.

Compton Jones Dresher has grown from three attorneys and one support staff member in July 2020 to 10 attorneys and four support staff members.

Paul Compton, one of the firm’s founding partners, told the Birmingham Business Journal the location was chosen for several reasons, including parking, convenient access to support services and fiber optic internet access with multiple providers.

“We wanted something convenient to both city center and over-the-mountain as well as having walkable amenities,” he said. “We’re halfway between Bottega Café and Chick-fil-A. We are also close to a number of our bank and real estate developer clients.”

The offices are sized to support more growth if necessary and to suit both attorneys, who primarily work in-office, and those who primarily work remotely.

“We plan to use that as a standard way of doing business rather than a pandemic contingency plan,” Compton said.

Dan Lovell of Graham & Company acted as a broker for Compton Jones Dresher in the deal. General Contractor Adams Gilmore & Lynch Inc. did the interior build out for the new space, KPS Group Inc. provided architectural services, and Cathy Waters of Ai Corporate Interiors handled furniture design.

[Read Article Here]

Just a few years after acquiring a mostly vacant flex warehouse property in Mandarin, an investor sold the now fully occupied building to a new buyer.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Graham & Co. recently sold the Gran Park at the Avenues building 500, located at 10255 Fortune Parkway, for $11.8 million.

Information from the company shows the group first purchased the building in 2018 when it was33% leased. It now boasts 100% occupancy.

Graham, through its affiliate Graham 10255 Fortune LLC, purchased the building for $5.5million in 2018, according to Duval County property records.

The building is 72,000 square feet of flex industrial/office space.

Mike Harrell and Gary Marcy with CBRE represented the seller, while Mike Bogle and BenS tewart with CBRE represented the buyer.

“Special thanks are owed to Gary Marcy with CBRE and Griffin Holtsinger of Holtsinger Construction for the countless hours both individuals worked to obtain a diverse and high-quality tenant base for Gran Park,” said Matthew Graham, vice president of acquisitions for Graham &Co. “Having been previously leased to a for-profit university, the property presented several challenges to meet today’s office and industrial use but represents a great investment for the buyer.”

The transaction is a good example of the demand in the local market for smaller flexible office and industrial spaces.

[Read Article Here]

Graham & Co/Sunbelt Paper & Packaging to Build a New Corporate Office and Distribution Center 

BIRMINGHAM, November 10, 2021 – Birmingham-based Graham & Company and Sunbelt Paper & Packaging announced today plans for a 216,000 square-foot state-of-the art distribution facility located in Calera, AL.  Sunbelt Paper & Packaging, one of the largest privately owned packaging and industrial supply companies in the Southeast, will anchor the project occupying approximately 108,000 square-feet in the building.  The remaining 108,000 SF will be available for lease with the facility estimated to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2022.

The project is significant as it represents Graham & Co’s first speculative development in the Calera/southern submarket since completing Shelby Commerce Park in 2007. From 2000 to 2007, Graham & Co developed more than 1,800,000 square-feet of distribution space in Calera.  “We’re excited that the market’s demand for additional distribution space has allowed us the opportunity to partner with Sunbelt and further serve the needs of Shelby County,” says Henry V. Graham II, Vice President of Development at Graham & Co.

Founded in 2002, Sunbelt Paper & Packaging has outgrown its current facilities in Shelby County and will expand into Graham’s new building upon completion.  “The new facility allows us to accommodate our company’s continued growth and modernize our logistics operation,” says Bill Rivers, President of Sunbelt Paper & Packaging.  “We are very appreciative of 58 Inc., the City of Calera, and the Calera Industrial Development Board, whose support made this project possible.”

The new distribution center will require an investment of approximately $16.5 Million and sit on +/- 16 acres of land located at the northeast intersection of George Roy Parkway and Shelby County Road 22 with frontage along I-65 South.  “The property provides excellent interstate access, high visibility, and provides the south Birmingham industrial market with much needed Class A warehouse space for lease,” says Ogden Deaton SVP at Graham & Company.

Cooper Construction and Five South Architecture, LLC will serve as the project’s design/build team.  LBYD will serve as the civil engineer and Bhate Geosciences will assist with geotechnical engineering and materials testing.  Financing is to be provided by Oakworth Capital Bank.  Graham & Co, Sunbelt Paper & Packaging, 58 INC- Shelby County Economic Development Corporation, the Calera Industrial Development Board, and the City of Calera all worked in a collaborative effort to make this project a reality, and a ground-breaking is slated for early December of 2021. 

About Graham & Company

Founded in 1978, Graham & Company is a full-service commercial real estate firm with offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Panama City, Florida. Graham offers investment sales, leasing, property management, and development services.

Graham & Company has been involved in the development and management of industrial properties, office buildings, office/service centers, and office rehabilitation projects throughout the Southeast. Over the last 20 years, Graham & Company has delivered more than 9.6 million SF of build-to-suit and speculative industrial and office projects, each involving a unique set of challenges and hurdles to overcome.

Graham & Co.’s projects and properties are managed by a staff of seasoned real estate professionals, including many who have earned prestigious designations such as SIOR, CRE, CCIM, LEED, RPA, and CPM. 

About Sunbelt Paper & Packaging

Founded in 2002, Sunbelt Paper & Packaging provides packaging, assembly, and distribution of industrial supplies / solutions to a diverse clientele across Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Sunbelt is well diversified in its products offered, industries serviced, and regional coverage with assembly and major distribution centers in central and north Alabama. Sunbelt’s main business lines consist of corrugated containers, wooden pallets, bags, packaging supplies, and more to clients ranging from local businesses to FORTUNE 500 automotive companies including BMW, GMC, and Tesla. Sunbelt provides extensive on-site inventory capability with over 20,000 products on site and has a vertically integrated distribution channel with its own fleet of trucks. Sunbelt has also developed extensive capabilities in design / sampling and assembly within the automotive and aerospace industry.

For further information:

Graham & Company, LLC                                         Sunbelt Paper & Packaging
Ogden Deaton, SIOR                                                Bill Rivers
Email: ogdend@grahamcompany.com                  billrivers@sunbeltpaper-packaging.com
Cell: 205.222.8927                                                 Cell: 205.567.2300

Graham & Company, LLC                                        58 Inc
Henry Graham                                                         Jackson Pruett
Email: henryg@grahamcompany.com                  Email: jpruett@58inc.org
Cell: 205.908.3056                                                Cell: 256.507.4365

A Hoover office building has sold for $3.55 million.

Betre 6 Management LLC acquired the 27,204-square-foot building at 300 Riverchase Parkway E. from Barcroft Terrace Inc.

The 3.9-acre property is located within a corporate business park and is zoned planned light industrial.

A spokesperson at Graham & Co., which was the listing agent for the property, said the buyer will occupy the two-story building in the coming days.

Betre 6 Management is registered to Robert Reuse of Alabama Controls in Pelham. The building was previously occupied by Virginia-based IT and business consulting services firm CGI Technologies and Solutions, according to CGI’s website. Barcroft Terrace is a foreign corporation out of Arlington, Virginia, registered to Thomas Ansley at Dentons Sirote, according to the Alabama Secretary of State website.

Walter Brown and Matt Gilchrist in the office group at Graham & Co. represented the seller in the deal.

[Read Article Here]

Congratulations to Mike Graham, Steve Graham, and Charles Simpson on being included in the BBJ’s list of Who’s Who in Commercial Real Estate

Click here to view the list.

Two Birmingham companies are planning a 172-acre development for an industrial park in Moody.

The new park, called Kelly Creek Commerce Park, will be a joint venture between Graham & Co. LLC and Capstone Real Estate Investments, according to a press release. The duo expect to spend in excess of $125 million to build the project out to its full capacity, said Sonny Culp, senior vice president at Graham & Co.

The developers plan to start work on the initial infrastructure and tree-clearing at the site in October, Culp said.

Developers earlier this year received rezoning clearance for the parcels off Kelly Creek Road northeast of Park Avenue, which were sold by a private landowner for the development. The land is adjacent to Red Diamond, according to a park brochure, which also says the new development will eventually be home base for 600 to 800 employees.

St. Clair County plans to upgrade Kelly Creek Road from the property location back to I-20, and the developers will add a turn lane for entry to the facility.

“This development addresses the ever-present need for light industrial site inventory in our metro area,” Culp said. “Besides the physical attributes of this site and its excellent access, St. Clair County offers a tax-friendly environment with good proximity to labor.”

Public and private entities involved with the project have been planning and performing engineering work for two years ahead of the project announcement, said Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council.

“The development is the direct culmination of both private and public entities working together to bring quality companies and jobs to the metro area,” Smith said.

Graham & Co. is also working on another industrial project in the Birmingham area. It is investing $15 million in the first phase of its Crossroads Commerce Center off Daniel Payne Drive near downtown. It is also planning a new distribution facility off Lakeshore Parkway.

Capstone Real Estate, meanwhile, has been involved with projects under historic rehabilitation tax credits. It recently completed work on the historic Greyhound Bus Depot building at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 19th Street North.

[Read Article Here]

A Huntsville firm has been awarded a significant government contract.

Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space for the Enduring Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) to produce its mobile ground-based weapon system. The transportable system is designed to engage and defeat cruise missile and unmanned aircraft system threats. According to the company, the award is worth an estimated value of $237 million over the next 2.5 years. The contract also includes the option for follow-on production of 400 launchers with associated interceptors.

“Dynetics looks forward to delivering this next-generation solution to meet the Army’s needs now and in the future” said Ronnie Chronister, senior vice president of Weapons Technology and Manufacturing at Dynetics. “We’re ready to tackle this urgent schedule, supporting the safety of our soldiers with this integrated air and missile defense capability.”

Enduring Shield was designed and manufactured in the U.S. and offers an open-system architecture that provides both flexibility and growth, as well as full integration with the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System. The system is designed to provide a 360-degree air defense envelope with the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously.

The manufacturing of the components, performance of assembly and system integration will be conducted in Huntsville. Dynetics is set to deliver four units in 2022 and 12 units by the end of 2023.

Dynetics and Raytheon worked collaboratively to provide the Army a weapon system which met key requirements while incorporating lessons learned from previous programs.

[Read Article Here]

Jerry Grant represented the Landlord in the following transaction:

A rapidly growing Birmingham-based company has relocated its headquarters.

Southern Veterinary Partners, a BBJ FastTrack 30 company, moved from the Synovus building at 800 Shades Creek Parkway to the Lakeshore Park Plaza at 2204 Lakeshore Drive.

About 120 of the company’s 5,330 employees have moved into the new space, and finishing touches on the the 37,013-square-foot office are underway. The office is the former location for Milo’s Tea.

CEO Jay Price said the move, which more than doubles the company’s headquarter office square footage, can promote growth for SVP.

“We currently partner with 232 veterinary hospitals and are growing more each month,” he said. “This new location allows us to add additional space for our team, meeting rooms and collaboration areas. Other benefits of this amazing new space include a huge break room, one room specifically for free snacks, large kitchen, training space, plentiful free parking, amazing views from our meetings room of the lush forest area surround the Homewood Shades Creek Greenway — aka the Lakeshore Trail.”

Price said the move was necessary because the company, which is a BBJ Best Places to Work honoree, had grown to the point it was taking four floors at the Synovus building.

“The Lakeshore Park Plaza space provided us the opportunity to expand our footprint for our growing teams on one floor in one contiguous space,” he said. “The building is less than a mile from our previous location, and it is conveniently situated near Highways 31 and 280. We were keeping our eyes open for a new space for several years. When we saw this space, we knew we had to have it.”

[Read Article Here]

Birmingham is fortunate to be home to a high concentration of construction companies, architecture firms and engineering companies that are shaping the look of the nation – and in some cases, the world.

While many of those companies have built giant enterprises and high-growth firms by working on projects abroad and elsewhere in the nation, there is a large concentration of new projects right here in the Magic City.

New developments and massive renovations are in the pipeline, and more announcements are always on the horizon. The city was dotted with cranes and other construction elements throughout the pandemic, indicating the health of the Birmingham construction industry.

To recognize the transformative projects that are changing the face of the Magic City, the Birmingham Business Journal publishes its Building Birmingham Awards. The goal for starting the specal section in 2019 was to highlight not just the projects that are shaping our economy, but the talented companies and people who are making them possible in Birmingham’s construction and design industries.

In this year’s Building Birmingham Awards, you’ll read about 21 projects that were selected for this year’s feature and hear about what nominators think makes the project notable.

Honorees were chosen based on their impact, their degree of difficulty and unique aspects of the projects, among many other factors.

[Read Article Here]