For Immediate Release
Easton-Bell Sports secures 813,126-sf build-to-suit lease in Rantoul, IL
Avison Young and Supply Chain Alliance provide strategic services for sports equipment manufacturer
Chicago, IL (August 20, 2012) — Michael McKiernan, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company’s Chicago office, announced that it has secured a long-term lease for Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. in a new state-of-the-art 813,126-square-foot (sf) distribution, assembly and shared-services center in Rantoul, IL.
The facility is being constructed as a build-to-suit property for Easton-Bell Sports by developer The Janko Group and general contractor Peak Construction. The long-term lease agreement completed a year-long site-selection and facility-planning process that culminated with a groundbreaking ceremony this past week.
Brendan Kelly and Suzanne Serino, Principals of Avison Young and members of the company’s supply-chain practice, represented Easton-Bell Sports in multiple facets of the transaction.
“Easton-Bell Sports has been a great corporate citizen in Rantoul for more than three decades,” comments Kelly in Chicago. “The company completed a comprehensive search nationwide and ultimately chose Rantoul for Easton-Bell Sports’ new facility due to the company’s dedicated local workforce and strong support from the Village of Rantoul and State of Illinois.”
Easton-Bell Sports is a leading designer, developer and marketer of innovative sports equipment and accessories under the Easton, Bell, Riddell, Giro and Blackburn brands. The company is based in Van Nuys, CA.
“After nearly two years of hard work, we were able to break ground this past week on this important facility,” states Lewis Hornsby, Vice-President, Supply Chain and Fulfillment, Easton-Bell Sports. “The project wouldn’t have been possible without the great support provided by the members of the Avison Young team. Their services proved invaluable in helping us achieve success with this complex development.”
Easton-Bell Sports currently operates multiple manufacturing and distribution facilities in Rantoul. The new center will consolidate these facilities into a single, 813,126-sf structure with advanced technology and design capable of producing shorter lead times for customer orders, the highest quality order shipments, and long-term cost savings that can be re-invested in the business.
To execute this strategic plan, Easton-Bell Sports retained the services of the Supply Chain Alliance, a consortium of companies aligned to provide businesses with turnkey solutions to real estate and related supply-chain issues. In addition to Avison Young, the alliance includes Heitman Technologies (which is responsible for architecture and facility planning); Numina Group (process improvement); and Competitive Insights (strategic supply-chain consulting.)
“Avison Young would like to show our appreciation and acknowledge Easton-Bell Sports for its commitment to use our company’s holistic open-architecture model,” says McKiernan. “This best-in-class, best-practices approach is unlike any approach in the marketplace, and is a differentiator for Avison Young and Easton-Bell, and consistent with industry thought leader CoreNet’s 2020 vision of future best practices.”
The new 813,126-sf facility for Easton-Bell Sports will be located on an approximately 72-acre land site at 1001 Innovative Drive within Village Industrial Park. The 400-acre park is located at the northwest intersection of Highway 136 and Interstate 57.
Easton-Bell Sports’ shared services center has been designed to meet LEED certification standards. The facility will include approximately 33,000 sf of office space and 780,000 sf of light-assembly and distribution-center space. The distribution space will feature 36-foot-clear ceiling heights, 50-by-60-foot bay spacing, and land that can accommodate future growth of up to 428,000 sf of building expansion.
As participants in the Supply Chain Alliance:
- Avison Young serves as the integrator of supply chain and real estate services (tenant representation brokerage, economic incentives, construction management, foreign-trade feasibility, improvement and strategic financial modeling for the executive team)
- Heitman Technologies provides corporate facility planning; building modeling, including the interior office and process equipment on the plant floor; electronic construction-bidding platform and architectural services;
- Numina Group’s process-improvement engineers provide consulting, design and implementation of the process equipment and software (i.e. racking, conveyors, pick modules etc.);
- Competitive Insights provides both supply chain Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and professional analytical services, including distribution network modeling, to support cross-functional, fact-based decisions that support the reduction of operating costs.
Competitive Insights, headquartered in Atlanta, was founded in 1998. The firm provides both supply chain Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and professional analytical services to enterprise customers including some of the nation’s most recognizable brands. CI’s proprietary mix of software and services collects and processes customers’ transactional data from multiple sources to support cross-functional, fact-based decisions that support the reduction of operating costs, maximizing profits, and mitigating operating risks.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell and Blackburn. Its products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the company has 32 facilities worldwide.
For further information/comment/photos:
- Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: (604) 647-5098; cell: (604) 726-0959
- Michael McKiernan, Principal and Managing Director, Chicago, Avison Young: (847) 849-1911
- Brendan Kelly, Principal, Avison Young: (847) 849-1913
- Suzanne Serino, Principal, Avison Young: (847) 849-1903
