The Great Southwest structure, owned by Northwestern Mutual Life, was one of 12 that the company screened for its Texas launch, David Teeter of Henry S. Miller Commercial's Dallas office tells GlobeSt.com. "It's a good size lease for right now," he says, adding the pact is valued at roughly $1 million for the five-year term. Industrial leasing in the Great Southwest has been holding its own this year, more so than other industrial pockets of comparable age in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market.

The building has all the right stuff for an immediate ramping up, driving a signing after 3 1/2 months of scouting the market. The rail-serviced building contains five or six rail doors and is outfitted with heavy-duty levelers to accommodate Lakeland's paper-cutting production lines. The single-story structure also is outfitted with high power capabilities. "They felt they could get up and running more quickly in that building than any of the others," says Teeter. Lakeland Paper cuts large rolls of paper, some weighing up to 6,000 pounds, into smaller rolls for commercial use by customers such as book publishers. Initially, 35 jobs will be created, but that will increase to 50, he says.

Earlier this year, Lakeland shuttered its St. Louis operation in favor of a relocation to the DFW region. Teeter, who represented the tenant, said company officials felt they could better service their customers from DFW, a long-time selling point for the region because it's midway between both coasts. Shane Clark of the Bradford Cos. in Dallas acted on the building owner's behalf.

The large block of space was occupied by Quality Logistics. The firm has relocated into more than 200,000 sf at Pinnacle Park, located off Interstate 30 and closer to Dallas.