Auto Parts Maker To Open Distribution Center At Enfield Business Park With Help From The State

September 11, 2012

Courtesy of the Hartford Courant – 8/25/2012

Plans by a Virginia-based auto parts maker to open a distribution center in a former LEGO warehouse in Enfield are getting a boost from the state. Advance Auto Parts is expected to receive a $5 million loan from the state Department of Economic and Community Development to help finance the opening of a 450,000-square-foot facility, which will add 100 to 200 jobs, according to an announcement today from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Advance Auto expects to invest more than $30 million in the facility to ramp up its business in the Northeast to speed up delivery of its products in the region. The warehouse at 300 Shaker Road is located in the Enfield Business Park and has been owned since 2007 by a partnership of Calare Properties and Hackman Capital. LEGO relocated its North American distribution and warehousing operations in early 2007, and the massive building has stood vacant for much of the time since then. LEGO still retains a presence in the business park, leasing space for corporate offices and a day care. Final approval from the State Bond Commission for the loan is expected Friday, Malloy said. “The expansion is great news for Connecticut, but will be especially celebrated in Enfield where prime warehouse space that has sat idle for years will once again be a thriving contributor to the regional economy,” Malloy said, in a statement. DECD’s loan is for 10 years at a below-market rate of two percent and will be used to purchase machinery and equipment. The loan, or a portion if it, may be forgiven if certain job milestones are met. Advance Auto is a retailer of parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items, serving both the do-it-yourselfer and professional markets. The company has 3,692 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.