JLL represented American Lithium Energy (ALE), a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, in a new 81,928-square-foot lease at 1395 Aspen Way in Vista.  The firm is expanding from 21,473 square feet in Carlsbad and will use the space for R&D, manufacturing and distribution of its batteries. The tenant is scheduled to move into its new space in the fourth quarter.

On the heels of our successful A round and SpaceWERX STRATFI award last year, this facility marks an important milestone for ALE,” said CFO Danny Joe. JLL’s Tim Olson represented ALE in the lease. 

“We continue to see the evolution of San Diego’s diverse economy with advanced manufacturing and other sectors growing in the region,” said Olson.  “We have the expertise and experience to guide companies through the complicated real estate process, allowing them to remain focused on their mission.”

Photo credit: CoStar.

A battery manufacturer has withdrawn plans for a $2.6 billion factory on 360 acres in Coweta County and must now repay money granted to it by local and state governments.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports Freyr Battery entered into an agreement to sell its 368-acre site south of Newnan to an undisclosed buyer for $50 million. The property is at Interstate 85 and Bethlehem Church Road, south of the Newnan-Coweta County Airport. Freyr purchased the property in late 2022 for $42.2 million.

Freyr had announced its Georgia project in 2022, promising over 700 jobs. It received a hefty incentive package and made Newnan its home base. Freyr has changed its business focus, moving into renewable energy.

In recent months, Coweta County has been the target of data center developers and homebuilders. A $17 billion data center proposal emerged in January, and a nearly 700-home project was pitched in November.

Spanish manufacturer Cosentino bought 570 acres from the City of Jacksonville with the promise that it would build a $270 million production facility. The company which makes natural stone and architectural surfaces, also promises it will create 180 jobs. It purchased the land off Interstate 10 for $20.4 million earlier this month.

Cosentino has produced stone products in Spain for decades.

The Jacksonville Business Journal reports two years ago, the City Council approved an economic development agreement that gave Cosentino a rebate of half of its facility’s property taxes for a decade, an incentive deal that amounts to $12 million and $5.5 million in debt spending to pay for a $3 million Logistics Land Road extension at the Cecil Commerce Center and pay $2.5 million for JEA to make sewer and water infrastructure improvements at the site.

The first phase of construction includes a 408,000-square-foot production facility and 734,000 square feet of adjacent support areas.

Rockaway Holding Group, LLC has signed a 15-year lease for 124,556 square feet at 25 Green Pond Rd. in Rockaway, NJ. The facility will become one of largest donut manufacturing facilities in North America, producing more than one million donuts daily. 

The move marks a significant expansion for Rockaway Holding Group, which is relocating from its 40,000- square-foot facility in Lodi, NJ. The company plans to invest significant capital in building out the new facility to meet its manufacturing requirements.

“This facility will serve as a transformative hub for Rockaway Holding Group, enabling them to support their client at an even greater scale,” said Daniel Foley, executive managing director, Savills, who represented Rockaway Holding Group. “We are proud to have helped secure a space that meets their ambitious growth and operational needs.”

Ownership of the property, 25 Green Pond Investors LLC, was represented by Stephen Sander and Steve Elman of Cushman & Wakefield.

Anthony Lawrence-Belfair, a furniture company specializing in the manufacturing, distribution, repair and restoration of furniture and home goods, signed a long-term lease for 25,214 square feet of warehouse space and 19,312 square feet of land at Simone Development Companies’ 1200 Zerega Ave. in the Bronx. The new space will serve as a showroom and studio, supporting the company’s relocation from Long Island City.

Simone Development was represented by in-house leasing and legal teams alongside Mat Diana of DY Realty, while Anthony Lawrence-Belfair was represented by Helen Paul of Cushman & Wakefield and Joseph Caputo of Exit Realty Premier.

“With its strategic location, ample outdoor storage options, and flexible space configurations, 1200 Zerega Ave. is an ideal fit for companies like Anthony Lawrence-Belfair,” said Josh Gopan, VP of leasing for Simone Development.

The lease secured the final warehouse and ground-floor space offered at 1200 Zerega Ave. The property has a remaining 12,891 square feet of office space available on the second floor.

A new battery manufacturing plant is set to open at the Kingsboro megasite in Edgecombe County. Natron Energy, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, plans to invest $1.4 billion in the operation, which is expected to create up to 1,000 new jobs nine miles east of downtown Rocky Mount.

The site will produce sodium-ion carbide batteries, an alternative to lithium-ion technology. They are designed for medium—and low-speed electric vehicles, such as bicycles, and are viable options for large-scale energy storage solutions. Sodium is a much more available element than lithium.

Natron is likely to receive more than $50 million in state and local grants.

Natron Energy opened the first U.S. sodium-ion battery plant at its Michigan headquarters earlier this year. Natron claims sodium-ion solutions outperform, are significantly safer, and are far more sustainable than lithium-ion options.

MicroVention, a neuroendovascular medical device company, acquired 45 Enterprise, a 242,706-square-foot high-rise office building in Aliso Viejo, for $42.25 million, or $183 per square foot. CBRE’s Carol Trapani and Allison Kelly represented MicroVention. Newmark’s Kevin Shannon, Rob Hannan, Paul Jones, Ken White and Brandon White represented the seller, Pacific Life Insurance Company. The property is adjacent to MicroVention’s headquarters.

“MicroVention secured the asset well below replacement cost, which will ensure the potential for their long-term growth while locking in a low occupancy cost for the long term,” said Trapeni. Added Jones, “With the displacement of office product and lack of institutional investors, full or partial owner-users are seeing tremendous buying opportunities in today’s market.”

45 Enterprise is a nine-story, vacant building built in 2007 and renovated in 2022. The property features open floorplates, an onsite cafeteria, conference and meeting rooms, building signage and a parking ratio of 4.6 spaces per every 1,000 rentable square feet. The property is adjacent to State Route 73 and near Interstate 5, providing connectivity throughout Orange County and the entire Southern California region.

Diaper maker First Quality will spend $418 million to expand its Macon plant. The investment, which includes a 50% increase in diaper and training pant manufacturing, new diaper and training pants lines and its automated warehouse facility, will create 600 new jobs. As long as workers earn at least $33,000 a year, the company could qualify for $12 million in state income tax credits, at $4,000 per job over five years.

The company manufactures baby diapers, training pants, a line for adult incontinence, feminine hygiene and wipes products, paper towels, and bath tissues. It will launch new products not currently found in North America and complete this expansion by September 2025.

First Quality acquired the Macon facility in 2008 by purchasing Covidien Retail Products. Its current campus spans more than 1 million square feet and employs 580 workers. The factory is 85 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Switzerland-based GF Casting Solutions will invest more than $184 million in a new manufacturing facility in Augusta. The project will create 350 new jobs for Richmond County. This is the third announcement out of Augusta-Richmond County in the last two weeks – Syensqo, StandardAero, and now GF Casting Solutions.

GF Casting Solutions facility at the Augusta Corporate Park will produce cast aluminum parts, with a special focus on large structural components for the automotive industry. 

“Building a High Pressure Die Casting Facility is a very long-term investment. The new facility will complete our footprint to become truly global in the e-mobility market,” said Carlos Vasto, President of GF Casting Solutions. “We are looking forward to bringing leading technology to the US and to creating advanced manufacturing jobs for several generations in Georgia. The location is ideal for addressing the thriving automotive industry in the region.”

Operations are expected to begin in 2027.

Kyowa Kirin, a Japanese life sciences company, has selected Sanford, North Carolina, for its new pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. The $200 million investment will create more than 100 jobs. The company will utilize the Helix Innovation Park at the Brickyard, a new 895-acre industrial park in Lee County.

The Charlotte Business Journal reports the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee approved roughly $2 million worth of incentives to lure the project. Earlier, the Sanford City Council and the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved an incentives package of $3.86 million and roughly $4.7 million, respectively.

Kyowa Kirin first entered the North American market when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved three medicines it markets in the United States. The company has three other manufacturing sites in North America.

Sanford, in recent years has landed large projects from Pfizer and Astellas Gene Therapies, part of Japanese firm Astellas Pharma.