Keith Corp. Breaks Ground on South Carolina Project

May 17, 2021

The company is developing a speculative industrial building in Summerville.

The Keith Corp. is looking to complete its industrial campus in Summerville, S.C., as it starts construction on a 430,920-square-foot speculative industrial building.

479 Trade Center Parkway. *Image courtesy of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture*

Keith Corp. has tapped Frampton Construction Co. LLC to build the latest property, which began site work in April. Frampton is expecting to complete the industrial building located at 479 Trade Center Parkway in December 2021.

Once completed, the cross-docked facility will feature 36-foot clear heights, 50 dock doors, two drive-in doors, 105 trailer parking spaces and 243 car parking spaces. The property is being built with concrete tilt walls and a structural steel frame, according to Frampton.

The project team also includes McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, which designed the project, Alliance Consulting Engineers, which served as civil engineer, and JLL’s Lee Allen who was tasked with the leasing of the industrial facility.

Alan Lewis, industrial development partner at Keith Corp., said in prepared remarks that the company is expecting an increase in demand for nearby warehouse space after the South Carolina Ports Authority recently opened a new container terminal. The project is located approximately 30 miles away from the Port of Charleston and has direct access to Interstate 26.

Completing Charleston Trade Center

Alongside its 430,920-square-foot project, Keith Corp. and Frampton are also building a more than 1 million-square-foot speculative facility as part of the same industrial campus called Charleston Trade Center. With the two projects expected to be completed by the end of 2021, the campus will then include six industrial facilities that total 2.5 million square feet.

Joey Smith, vice president at Frampton, said in prepared remarks that the Charleston Trade Center has attracted a diverse tenant roster that includes Curtiss-Wright, IFA and Thorne Research. Keith Corp., alongside its partner Singerman Real Estate, sold a 448,765-square-foot property that was part of the Charleston Trade Center for $55 million in December.