Newell Rubbermaid Opens for Business in 407,612-Square-Foot Distribution Facility at Southern California Logistics Centre in Victorville, CA

Victorville, CA (PRWEB) October 23, 2007 -- Newell Rubbermaid (http://www.newellrubbermaid.com/newellco/index.jhtml), a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales of approximately $6 billion annually, has opened for business in a 407,612-square-foot bulk distribution facility at Southern California Logistics Centre (SCLC) (http://www.logisticsairport.com/) inVictorville, CA. (http://ci.victorville.ca.us/) SCLC, a 2,500-acre commercial and industrial complex entitled for 65 million square feet of development, is one of three development divisions of Southern California Logistics, a master-planned 8,500-acre multimodal transportation hub supported by air, ground and rail connections.

Newell Rubbermaid has a 10-year lease agreement with Stirling Capital Investments, a joint venture between Stirling Enterprises, a Foothill Ranch, CA-based development company and Denver, CO-based DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (NYSE: DCT), a leading industrial real estate investment trust. As the first industrial tenant to occupy space during Phase I development activity at SCLC, Newell Rubbermaid will be warehousing imported goods from Asia at its new corporate distribution center, from which it will redistribute its products throughout the United States. In addition, it will also use the facility to operate its Graco unit, which manufactures infant and juvenile products. Newell Rubbermaid's activities will help boost local economic health through the creation of approximately 85 jobs. The plant is expected to be at full capacity by October 2008.

Newell Rubbermaid's new built-to-suit facility is the first of several warehouse and distribution buildings to be developed during Phase I construction at the logistics center, which is strategically located near the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach; with direct access to Interstate 15, Highway 395 and key modes of transportation; attractive lease rates; and an available and qualified labor pool. Phase I construction will consist of more than 6.5 million square feet of industrial facilities on more than 350 acres. The new industrial space will be comprised of diverse product types including large scale distribution and multi-tenant facilities. Phase I aims to create more than 13,000 direct and ancillary jobs.

"Newell Rubbermaid is the first corporate distribution center built from the ground up at SCLC with discussions underway to possibly expand the facility by 600,000 square feet in the next five years," said Brian Parno, vice president of Stirling, the master developer of Southern California Logistics Centre. "As a catalyst for economic growth, Southern California Logistics Centre is strategically positioned to meet the diverse logistical needs of companies with air, ground and rail connections, placing many world-class firms in an ideal position to engage in business with national and international markets."

Parno noted that other major corporations have relocated to Southern California Logistics Centre and in the City of Victorville including Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, M&M/Mars, ConAgra Foods, Nutro Products, Inc., General Electric and Pratt & Whitney.

"We are very pleased that Newell Rubbermaid has selected SCLC as a prime location for its warehousing and distribution activities," said Terry Caldwell, City of Victorville Mayor and Southern California Logistics Airport Authority Chairman. "With the location of this prestigious company and many others like it, Southern California Logistics Centre will create hundreds of local jobs enabling more residents to both live and work in the High Desert."

About Southern California Logistics

Southern California Logistics, the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, Calif., is an 8,500-acre multimodal freight transportation hub supported by air, ground and rail connections. Southern California Logistics is comprised of Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA), a 2,500-acre world-class air cargo and aviation facility; Southern California Logistics Centre (SCLC), a 2,500-acre commercial and industrial complex entitled for 65 million square feet of development; and Southern California Rail Complex (SCRC), a planned 3,500-acre intermodal and multimodal complex entailing rail-served facilities. Stirling and the City of Victorville have a public/private partnership agreement to redevelop the former George Air Force Base into Southern California Logistics, the largest fully-integrated commercial development in the region, which is anticipated to create more than 24,000 jobs and support another 18,500 jobs in the surrounding area. Southern California Logistics offers 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations with onsite U.S. Customs. It has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone and a Local Agency Military Base Recovery Act Zone by the federal government. It has two intercontinental runways and can accommodate all current-flying commercial and military aircraft with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week air tower operations and emergency response capabilities comparable to that of the world's largest airports. For more information, visit www.logisticsairport.com.

About Stirling Capital Investments

Stirling Capital Investments is a joint venture between Stirling, a Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based strategic, full-service, value-added development company specializing in master-planned communities and major land renovations and Denver, CO-based DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (NYSE: DCT), a leading industrial real estate investment trust. Stirling is led by partners Dougall Agan and Chris Downey, who have been responsible for more than $3 billion in development activity on large-scale land development projects in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. DCT Industrial Trust Inc., is a leading real estate company specializing in the ownership, acquisition, development and management of bulk distribution and light industrial properties located in 24 of the highest volume distribution markets in the U.S. as well as Mexico.

The City of Victorville: All the Ingredients for Business Success

The City of Victorville is a pro-business community offering many incentives, such as permit fast-tracking, employee home purchasing assistance, training and tax credits and a less-restrictive regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://ci.victorville.ca.us/

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