First Industrial Signs 10-Year Deal with Ford

CHICAGO-First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. has signed a 10-year deal with Ford Motor Co. to develop a 252,000-sf build-to-suit distribution facility in the North Carolina Industrial Center. Ford will use the facility as a high velocity center to distribute parts to its dealers in the Carolinas and Virginia.

The building will be located in Mebane, NC, one mile from Interstates 40 and 85, midway between Greensboro and the Raleigh/Research Triangle area. Scheduled to be completed in the spring, the building will have a flexible design with an option to expand by an additional 60,000 sf.

In addition, First Industrial is also working on developing an adjacent rail-served building that would serve as a high cube center for distributing large bulky parts, such as sheet metal and bumpers, to Ford dealers.