Distributor Expands to More Than 83,000 SF

DAYTON, NJ-WEL Cos., based in DePere, WI, is expanding its warehousing operations here to a total of 83,200 sf. The location is within a 283,600-sf building owned by Opus East LLC within the Turnpike Crossings II industrial complex.

Peter Corcoran, director of development with the Plymouth Meeting, PA office of Opus East, negotiated the multi-year deal. The lease agreement carries an aggregate rental of $1.7 million, according to Corcoran.

WEL Cos. will move into a portion of the recently completed structure that fronts the New Jersey Turnpike, according to Corcoran. The building is the second phase of Opus East’s 1.2 million-sf, three-building Turnpike Crossings. The first phase of the project, a 526,400-sf structure completed two years ago, is fully leased to Fleming Foods, according to Corcoran.

WEL Cos. is a privately owned transportation company that specializes in refrigerated food products and a variety of dry commodities. Besides the local operation, the company has major warehousing and distribution centers in its home base of DePere, WI, as well as Winter Haven, FL, Allentown, PA and Horseheads, NY. Its customers include Hershey Foods and Kraft.

Opus East, meanwhile, opened its Plymouth Meeting, PA office in 1998 to develop office and industrial facilities in the region. Besides the Fleming Foods building, projects since then have included build-to-suits for Proctor & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Circuit City and Lennox.