David A. Bercu, SIOR, principal; and Matthew J. Stauber, SIOR, principal, both with Colliers International | Chicago’s Industrial Advisory Group, have represented Clarion Partners in a 492,866-square-foot new long-term lease to Wilton Industries Inc. at 21228 Frontage Road, Shorewood. The transaction is the metropolitan Chicago area’s largest new industrial lease of 2012 and the fifth largest since the beginning of 2011.
Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Woodridge, Wilton Industries is a food crafting company offering candy making, cookie making, bakeware, wedding and seasonal products for the specialty home products industry. The new lease represents an expansion from its Woodridge headquarters, and the company now occupies more than 2 million square feet in the Chicago area.
Also known as Heartland Corporate Center, 21228 Frontage Road is a 1 million-square-foot distribution facility located within a 156-acre business park at the new four-way interchange of Interstate 55 and Route 59 in south suburban Shorewood. The building features 136 dock doors and 170 car parking. It is also home to logistics firm Jacobson Companies, which has leased the other half of the facility since 2010. Wilton Industries is expected to occupy the facility in January 2013.
“Wilton Industries was attracted to the ability of this distribution facility to accommodate its highly automated operations in addition to the fact that it is easily accessible from a new four-way interchange,” Stauber said. “We are pleased to welcome Wilton and announce that the building is now 100 percent leased.”
Traci Buckingham and Gary Fazzio of CB Richard Ellis represented Wilton Industries in the lease transaction.
