Flagler Global Logistics to build new HQ for aircraft parts supplier

Rendering of the KLX facility. Inset: Dan Marcus of Flagler Global Logistics, and Matthew Cheezem of JLL

Updated 3:55 p.m., Oct. 26: Flagler Global Logistics, a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, will build a new 500,000-square-foot global headquarters and distribution hub in west Miami-Dade County for KLX Aerospace Solutions, an airplane parts supplier and inventory management company.

The deal, which Flagler officials said was the largest warehouse facility groundbreaking this year, was announced at a press conference in KLX's current Doral headquarters on Wednesday. It's actually the second biggest, following the Telemundo's new headquarters groundbreaking at Prologis Beacon Lakes industrial park – but that lease includes studio and office space. 

Flagler Executive Vice President Dan Marcus said KLX is going to be an anchor tenant of Countyline Corporate Park, a new complex that will offer build-to-suit Class A industrial, office and retail space in one corporate campus setting on the border of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The new home for KLX will have two floors of office space with the ability to expand into a state-of-the-art storage and distribution facility.

“We're seeing an increase in demand for new, high-quality industrial real estate space with quick access to major transportation arteries,” Marcus said in a statement. “Countyline Corporate Park offers a competitive multi-modal logistics location and customers are responding. We are pleased to have brands like KLX in our space.”

“There is limited land supply for a project of this scale,” Matthew Cheezem, managing director at JLL, which represented KLX, told The Real Deal. “This was really about the flexibility of a team like Flagler that can help [KLX] grow their business.”

The KLX project is part of phase one of Countyline Corporate Park, which is being developed on 95 acres sandwiched between the Florida Turnpike and I-75 in the city of Hialeah. The land, which Flagler assembled in 2005 for a combined $38.3 million, is adjacent to the planned American Dream Miami mega-mall project and close to a large residential community being developed by Lennar and Codina Partners.

Gov. Rick Scott said the deal between Flagler and KLX will keep 650 jobs in Florida and possibly add another 100 as the aerospace firm grows.

Mike Senft, KLX vice president and chief financial officer, said finding a new home was critical to keep up with the company's business expansion. “This new facility will provide us with the footprint, efficiency and ongoing capacity to not only serve our customers in a world leading industry way,” Senft said, “but create the capacity for growth. This facility will be an extremely important cornerstone of what we are trying to create.”