CARROLLTON, Texas Michigan-based Duro-Last Inc. has opened an 89,430-sf distribution center in Denton County to serve the Central U.S., selecting North Texas over competing industrial markets statewide.
Frankford Distribution Center I at 2940 Eisenhower St. in Carrollton was only one of two buildings in Dallas/Fort Worth that met the 56-foot column spacing requirement a reality discovered by Joe Santaularia, market director of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, and Brock Wilson, senior vice president and managing partner, who ended up representing the world's largest manufacturer of prefabricated roofing systems as a result.
"Duro-Last had been focused on another property. After reaching an impasse in negotiations, Duro-Last asked us to find other properties that would meet their requirements," Santaularia says.
The Texas draw for Duro-Last and other companies is its stellar positioning in the supply and distribution chain for the Central U.S., Southwest and West. Since fall 2012, Duro-Last had been searching on its own to find suitable space in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin or even West Texas.

The 153,200-sf Frankford Distribution Center I, owned by Duke Realty Corp., had the precise column spacing and ample vacancy to meet Duro-Last's needs. The property also is positioned close to three freeways, providing key access to customers throughout the Central U.S. where this year's tornado season has been ravaging the countryside.
"They needed to be in immediately," Santaularia says. "Duke is a flexible landlord that didn't over-negotiate and allowed them to get in as quickly as possible."
Duro-Last signed a long-term lease for the balance of Frankford Distribution Center I, situated on seven acres in the North Stemmons/Valwood submarket. The Indianapolis-based landlord's in-house broker was Matt Hyman.
June 5, 2013