Two new facilities announced for Winnipeg’s CentrePort

WINNIPEG — Two companies have announced plans for new state-of-the-art facilities in Brookside Industrial Park Phase III at CentrePort Canada.

CentrePort Canada is Manitoba’s 20,000-acre inland port and connects to national and international trade gateways and corridors.

Freightliner Manitoba is relocating from their current Winnipeg facility to a new 78,000-square-foot building located on 13.5 acres in the industrial park. Their new facility will house 35 service bays, an indoor showroom and is scheduled to open in 2020.

“Our new location gives us the chance to more than double our space and build an extremely exciting service concept for Manitoba. We’re excited to offer our customers and employees more space, more parking and a more modern facility overall. We also plan to grow our staff once we move in to the new location,” Freightliner president Ken Talbot said in a statement.

The other facility is by Edmonton-based Canada West, who will invest $60 million for up to eight build-to-suit and build-to-lease buildings on five lots totalling 26 acres within the park.

The new Canada West buildings will total over 350,000 square feet combined, with the first 50,000-square-foot facility scheduled for June 2019.

“The market has a very limited supply of new, well-designed industrial commercial space especially in the Northwest. National tenants are looking for comparable properties to what they have in other markets. In Winnipeg, the build-to-suit option is really their only option,” explained Canada West president Dale Klein.

“We believe the location of the park, and its connectivity to transportation, coupled with our level of fit and finish will be a competitive advantage. Winnipeg is an incredible market to invest in because there is high demand and so much potential for growth. Before even breaking ground, we already have one tenant secured and expect to have several more confirmed soon.”

CentrePort president and CEO Diane Gray added they are excited for the two businesses to set up shop.

“We are thrilled that Freightliner, who has been at CentrePort since the beginning, and Edmonton-based Canada West have both found a home for their new facilities at CentrePort. Both companies have strong visions for their futures. They’re investing in the continued success of their individual businesses, but they will also contribute the overall growth of Manitoba’s economy. That’s ultimately what CentrePort is all about,” Gray added.