Supplier takes short-term lease

A John Deere parts supplier plans to lease a speculative building in Grovetown temporarily, but county officials aren't saying if the company wants the facility as a permanent home.

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The Development Authority of Columbia County on Wednesday approved a two-to-four-month temporary-use agreement with Dana Corp., a Toledo, Ohio-based supplier to John Deere. Dana Corp, a drivetrain manufacturer, has agreed to lease the 50,000-square-foot facility adjacent to John Deere in Horizon South Industrial Park, said Zack Daffin, the authority's executive director.

The speculative building is on 4.4 acres in Horizon South, with frontage on Wrightsboro Road near John Deere Parkway.

Daffin said Dana Corp. will not make improvements and must make provisions for toilet facilities and fire protection because bathrooms and a sprinkler system will be left to a permanent tenant to install. A firefighter will be required to be present during hours of operation, he said.

Dana Corp. is leasing the facility for short-term service to John Deere, he said. Though he did not know if Dana Corp. would be interested in leasing the facility long-term, Daffin said "it is in a strategic location" to one of that company's major industrial clients.

Development Authority Board Chairman Stan Shepherd said the speculative building "helps get us to the table" with companies coming to the area.

Daffin said the authority will continue to market the building to potential clients. Dana Corp. must keep the building in show condition during their lease.

State grants and an interest-free federal loan funded about $600,000 of the $1.5 million facility, with the remaining cost financed through a public-private partnership with developers Bill Kulke, Tony Atkins and David Darby. Rental income from a permanent tenant will pay off the 10-year federal loan.

In other business, the development authority announced the finalized sale of property it owned at Furys Ferry and Evans to Locks roads. A partnership including local developer Dunstan and Dunstan purchased the .74-acre corner lot for $300,000, Daffin said.