The Development Authority of Bryan County has announced that an e-commerce fulfillment center will locate in the 419,000-square-foot building being constructed at the Interstate Centre II industrial park in Black Creek. The project represents more than $19 million in investment in the community, and the company has committed to employ 50 people within five years.
VMInnovations, headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., will occupy the building to be constructed by NorthPoint Development of Kansas City. The DABC announced in June that it had sold 44 acres to NorthPoint for what at the time was deemed a “confidential client.”
Anna Chafin, CEO of the development authority, said after that announcement that the fact Bryan County voters had approved a Freeport Exemption on last November’s ballot played a role in the decision.
The exemption means that e-commerce fulfillment centers that locate in the county will not pay local inventory tax on items held at such centers for 12 months or less as long as the location is used to pack, ship, store or process tangible personal property sold my electronic means and does not allow customers to purchase or receive goods on-site.
“Our new location in Bryan County will allow us to expand our capabilities in the Southeastern market.” said Zach Knaub, project manager for VMInnovations. “The decision to locate in Interstate Centre II was driven by several factors, including the great logistics of the area to include the Port of Savannah and the positive business atmosphere in the county that was highlighted by the Freeport Exemption for e-commerce fulfillment centers.”
VMInnovations, created in 2006, sells a variety of brand-name merchandise at competitive prices in product categories, including consumer electronics, sports and outdoor accessories, baby and kids products, home and gardening supplies, and pool products. With facilities currently in Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Indiana, the Black Creek site will be the company’s first location in the Southeastern United States.
“This project, with its 50 new jobs and over $19 million investment, is a great win for Bryan
County,” said DABC Chairman Derrick Smith. “We welcome VMInnovations and NorthPoint to Interstate Centre II and look forward to working with them as we continue to grow jobs and investment in the community.”
NorthPoint plans to begin construction immediately on the facility. VMInnovations will be operational in the new facility in April 2018. The building will be expandable up to 650,000 square feet.