I was contacted by a business acquaintance and friend of the family that owned Crane Fencing Solutions (then called VinylVisions). This Wilmington, Ohio-based manufacturing firm wished to get out of the 278,000 square foot facility that they shared with a sister division and locate closer to the desired employment base in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Over the next three years, I assisted the company in looking at all possible existing buildings in Cincinnati, involving 12 thorough building inspections and evaluations. This also involved site searches in Mason, Lebanon, Blanchester, and Wilmington, Ohio during which all local zoning, presence of utilities, market studies and pre-construction estimates were conducted. Twice during this period the client and I went through a thorough site-specific construction estimate process where, line-by-line, a facility was designed to accommodate the manufacturing process.
Then two years later, an existing manufacturing facility that had been occupied by Leggett & Platt became available. This 215,000 square foot facility was close to the size and configuration parameters desired by the client. The only negative was the inadequacy of the rail service into the building, with some reservations about clear height near the loading areas.
I worked with RailAmerica officials and with Duke Energy to secure the permitting and funding to expand the rail service into the building. I also worked with the City of Mason’s Planning and Zoning Department to secure a variance for the needed outside storage that would be a requirement on the adjoining property. Finally, I played a vital role in the procurement of the needed state and local incentives to assist the company and their 200 employees.
Crane Fencing Solutions purchased the Leggett & Platt facility for $4.65 million and subsequently invested another $10 million in the facility for its intended new use.
Over the next three years, I assisted the company in looking at all possible existing buildings in Cincinnati, involving 12 thorough building inspections and evaluations. This also involved site searches in Mason, Lebanon, Blanchester, and Wilmington, Ohio during which all local zoning, presence of utilities, market studies and pre-construction estimates were conducted. Twice during this period the client and I went through a thorough site-specific construction estimate process where, line-by-line, a facility was designed to accommodate the manufacturing process.
Then two years later, an existing manufacturing facility that had been occupied by Leggett & Platt became available. This 215,000 square foot facility was close to the size and configuration parameters desired by the client. The only negative was the inadequacy of the rail service into the building, with some reservations about clear height near the loading areas.
I worked with RailAmerica officials and with Duke Energy to secure the permitting and funding to expand the rail service into the building. I also worked with the City of Mason’s Planning and Zoning Department to secure a variance for the needed outside storage that would be a requirement on the adjoining property. Finally, I played a vital role in the procurement of the needed state and local incentives to assist the company and their 200 employees.
Crane Fencing Solutions purchased the Leggett & Platt facility for $4.65 million and subsequently invested another $10 million in the facility for its intended new use.