Expal USA expected to create 65 jobs, invest over $15,000,000, occupy over 80,000sf
Texarkana, AR-TX, 1BJune 2, 2016– Expal USA Inc., a US subsidiary of the Spanish defense company Expal Systems S.A., signed a ten-year lease and has the option to renew the lease for five additional years or take ownership. The leases commence on June 1, 2016.
The company will occupy existing buildings in the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant; the southern portion of the E-line in Area E, bunkers in Area V and a warehouse in Area D. These properties are located on what TexAmericas Center now calls the Eastern Campus.
TexAmericas Center (TAC) owns and manages about 1,500,000 square feet of industrial, flex, and office product on the Eastern property. TAC reports over 1,300,000 square feet of office and industrial space to be available on the Eastern site.
“We are very excited about the future of the entire development and its impact on the Texarkana region,” said Scott Norton, Executive Director/CEO of the TexAmericas Center, “The demand for our product gives me confidence that the property we are just beginning to market, our TAC-East campus, is being well received.”
Following the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) procedure, TexAmericas Center began the cumbersome and lengthy process of adding the bulk of the closed Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant to its holdings. This property added nearly 8,900 acres to TAC inventory and offers:
• 270,000sf of rail-to-truck cross-dock warehousing space
• 170,000sf of dry storage with nearby rail siding and Transload structures
• 750,000sf of energetics production space
• 300,000sf of high explosives storage bunkers
Expal USA Inc., is the first major attraction to TexAmericas Center’s Eastern Campus; however, officials say interest in the property has been strong.
“This property is very adaptable. We are shovel-ready with 36 miles of rail, 150 miles of road, and wet utilities,”
“We are eager to offer build-to-suit lease backs in addition to leases on the existing buildings.”
Eric Voyles, EVP with TexAmericas Center,
Expal Systems is the defense arm of global industry leader Maxam, which owns and operates factories in Spain and additional facilities in Denmark, Bulgaria, and Italy. Expal USA has its headquarters in Marshall, Texas. Expal USA also operates a continuous energetics pilot plant in Minden, Louisiana.
TexAmericas Center declares itself to be an excellent location for defense, food processing, logistics, metals, warehouse/distribution, and on & off road vehicle manufacturing businesses. The Texarkana region offers excellent access to customers and suppliers, and is within 500 miles of 23 first and second tier MSAs, many are among the fastest growing in the nation. Texarkana Region has a population of over 400,000 within 60 miles and boasts I-30, I-49 and I-369 connectivity.
Expal USA is developing a demilitarization facility at TexAmericas Center.
“The Ark-La-Tex multi-state region is a good location for energetics, demilitarization, and related business opportunities. Utility, property, and logistics costs are reasonable and the TexAmericas Center’s team members are professional, thorough, and a pleasure to work with.”
said Steve Dart, CEO Expal USA Inc.
TexAmericas Center has pursued a $750,000 Texas Capital Fund grant and a $1,500,000 US Economic Development Administration grant to support the successful completion of this job generating project. The last remaining obstacle to be overcome is a successful negotiation with CenterPoint Energy, the natural gas provider for the region. Expal USA stands to be a major gas user; CenterPoint is expected to agree to serve the project in affect, creating 65 jobs and $15,000,000 of investment capital in the Texarkana Market, which is reeling from the announced layoffs of about 300 defense employees on the Red River Army Depot in late May.
About Expal and MAXAM:
Expal produces ammunition from 5.56mm to aircraft bombs and is well known for its artillery and mortar systems. Expal has a load, assemble, and pack facility in the US and a nascent pyrotechnic capability. Maxam has production facilities in more than 40 countries and employs over 6,000 in 140 companies. Since its formation in 1872 by Alfred Nobel, it has developed into a leading industrial group for:
• Development, manufacturing, and sale of civil explosives and initiation systems for the mining, quarry and infrastructure industries.
• Production of chemicals and fertilizers
• Hunting cartridges and gunpowder for sporting use
• Products for the defense industry
• Energy and environmental consulting
About TexAmericas Center:
Located in the Texarkana metropolitan area, TexAmericas Center owns and operates one of the largest mixed use industrial parks in the United States. With more than 2,000 development ready acres of land and about 1.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial product, TexAmericas Center services the four states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) markets. TexAmericas Center has the operating capabilities of a municipality but functions more like a traditional real estate development company. In addition to controlling our own zoning and permitting processes and sustaining the life cycle of public infrastructure on the complex, TAC has the capability to lease, build to suite, or facilitate Greenfield owner-constructed projects in a timely and efficient manner. At TAC, we stream line leasing and manage government development processes all through a single point of contact. Our customers benefit from faster market entry by resolving zoning, permitting, inspection, and state and local incentive programs through a single point of contact at TexAmericas Center. Tenants of TexAmericas Center tend to be private business owners and corporations seeking flexible and cost effective space solutions.
Who to contact:
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Eric Voyles/Executive Vice President, CEDO at (903) 223-9841 or via Email
