Representatives from 1ST Phorm, US Capital Development, the City of Fenton and hundreds of other guests gathered today for a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the official start of construction on the new $20 million, 182,400-square-foot facility that 1st Phorm will occupy by early next year. 1st Phorm was founded in 2008 with the goal to design, manufacture and bring to market the highest quality and most effective sports nutrition products in the world, and the company has grown into an iconic brand with $200 million in sales each year. With growth occurring at the rate of $20 – $30 million each year, 1st Phorm is relocating its expanding operations to Fenton Logistics Park from the location in Green Park Industrial Court in South St. Louis County that it has occupied since 2013.
The ceremony kicked off with several 1st Phorm executives arriving at the site via a Huey Helicopter, providing a glimpse into the company’s one-of-a-kind culture that has been part of its recipe for success. More than 100 company employees, who were on hand to celebrate this company milestone with other guests, cheered them on from the ground as the helicopter landed.
“What we’re going to build here, guys, is something that I think you’re going to look back and be really glad you came to this event,” said Andy Frisella, CEO of 1st Phorm, during his brief remarks. “It’s state of the art; it’s top of the line. I want you to think about what 1st Phorm represents as a culture. And what we represent as a culture is not selling vitamins. It’s helping people improve their lives. It is helping people become better people.”
Once complete, the 182,400 square-foot facility will house more than 400 employees and feature an auditorium, a state-of-the-art gym, locker rooms, media rooms, a podcast room, basketball court, full kitchen, and more. 1st Phorm is on track to outgrow its current space, and the new one-story, tilt-up building will provide the room it needs to continue to expand operations and staffing. The facility will feature both office and warehousing space, and company sales representatives and coaches, customer service representatives and warehouse employees will all work from the new space.
Frisella told the crowd, “If you want to look at it and think about where we’re going with it, think of Google for human performance. That’s where we’re taking it. That’s the best analogy I can use to describe what we’re building here.”
1st Phorm joins half a dozen diverse tenants who have already moved into Fenton Logistics Park, including BJC’s Clinical Asset Management Division, CoreLink, Alkem Labs, Beckwood Press Co., Hubbel Killark and BASF. With the addition of the new 1st Phorm facility, U.S. Capital Development will have invested more than $111 million in developing Fenton Logistics Park and delivered 50% of the industrial space planned within the park. The developer continues to breathe new life into the site of the former Chrysler Plant in Fenton, which now features 648,411 square feet of completed space, with 88 percent of those buildings occupied by more than 1,000 employees.
“This world-class, build-to-suit facility is a welcome addition to Fenton Logistics Park, which continues to grow at a rapid pace,” said Scott Sachtleben, managing principal of USCD. “With the addition of 1st Phorm, we are on target to expand the total number of quality skilled jobs within Fenton Logistics Park to more than 1,400. We are excited to be at the point where half of the industrial opportunity at the former Chrysler site has been consumed, with construction of additional facilities set to follow in the very near future.”
M+H Architects is serving as the architect on the 1st Phorm project, while Stock & Associates will serve as the consulting engineer. Alper Audi, Inc. will serve as the structural engineer. CBRE’s Jon Hinds and Katie Haywood represented USCD and Noel Fehr, with NAI Desco, represented 1st Phorm in the deal
“We are eager to move forward on the development of this innovative new facility for 1st Phorm,” said Scott Haley, Managing Director at US Capital Development who is responsible for managing the leasing and development of Fenton Logistics Park as the transformation continues from a brownfield site into a state-of-the-art industrial and commercial development in high demand. “The owners have been wonderful to work with, and we believe the completed, modern facility will give them the space they need today, while providing room for future growth.”
US Capital Development is now finalizing plans for Building VII, which is slated to be a 192,800-square-foot facility and should break ground in 90 days. As it continues to be built out and additional tenants are lined up, Fenton Logistics Park is expected to feature nearly 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing, logistics and warehouse space; 480,000 square feet of office/warehouse and flex space; 182,500 square feet of retail, restaurant and hotel space, and 105 acres of land owned by the BNSF Railway for anticipated additional railroad services. The overall development has the potential to result in 2,500 – 3,000 permanent jobs, pumping an estimated $135 million in wages to the region.
For more information about Fenton Logistics Park, visit uscd.com. For more information about 1st Phorm, visit 1stphorm.com.
About US Capital Development
US Capital Development, formerly known as KP Development, is a real estate development company based in St. Louis with a second office in Indianapolis and has origins dating back to 1994. In fall 2018, the firm announced its repositioning as USCD following a period of rapid growth and expansion into multiple U.S. markets. Since the middle of 2017, the company has sourced and initiated over a half billion dollars of self-directed and owned development within various US markets. The firm’s efforts are now aligned under three distinct business platforms: industrial speculative development, commercial build-to-suit projects and a senior housing division operating under the brand “Oakleigh Development.”
About 1st Phorm
1st Phorm International is the premier supplement line in the industry. The company searches out and sources only the highest quality ingredients to go into each of its products. 1st Phorm doesn’t use fillers – just top grade, premium, result-driven ingredients in their prime efficacious dose. All 1st Phorm products are made in the USA. Learn more at 1stphorm.com.
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For more information, contact:
Pamela Powell
(314) 436-9090
pam@hausergrouppr.com