A company owned by the president of AVL Productions bought the former Builders FirstSource warehouse in Westside Industrial Park to expand operations.
EMU LLC, led by AVL founder, owner and President Stephen Unkelbach, paid $10.255 million for the 75,350-square-foot building on 6.17 acres in a deed executed June 30.
The building, developed in 1996 at 8275 Forshee Drive, is almost four times the size of the space he now leases.
“We are planning on expanding our reach and have more prep and storage areas, and room for training for new employees and to keep up with the shifting changes in our industry,” Unkelbach said in an email July 5.
The larger building also will allow AVL to offer its own black box space to clients for VR video shoots, rehearsal space “and just anything our clients might need,” he said.
Unkelbach said AVL has 38 full-time employees and will expand.
EMU bought the property from Pattillo Industrial Real Estate, which sold it through WS8275 LLC.
AVL has been leasing about 20,000 square feet of space at 3500 Beachwood Court, Building 100, in Beachwood Commerce Center at southeast Beach Boulevard and Interstate 295.
AVL says it is a Northeast Florida-based company founded by Unkelbach, a Jacksonville native.
The AVLProductions.com website says he began working in the local events industry at a young age.
He started AVL Productions in 2007 with one main sound system and a small lighting rig.
“From the very beginning, Stephen instilled the core value of this company, which is placing client satisfaction as a top priority. With this value, he grew long-lasting relationships with local venues and promoters creating great avenues for AVL to grow into the company that we are today,” says the site.
The website says AVL Productions “is providing industry-leading equipment and services across the nation.”
AVL specializes in providing audio, video and lighting equipment as well as staging and décor for events to clients that include national tours and conferences, including some internationally.
Unkelbach said that in the past year, AVL has expanded its reach across the country and into Canada with national tours with artists such as comedian Tom Segura, actor and comedian Martin Lawrence, comedian, actor and podcaster Theo Von and The 85 South Show comedy tour.
That is in addition to “staying busy with corporate events and festivals throughout the country providing full service production audio video and lighting,” he said.
The Forshee Drive warehouse was leased to contractor supplies distributor Builders FirstSource, which expanded at Westside Industrial Park to lease an almost 200,000-square-foot warehouse at 8700 Jesse B. Smith Court.
Builders FirstSource had leased the Forshee Drive building for about 15 years.
Westside Industrial Park is at northwest Pritchard Road and Interstate 295, north of I-10.
“We have looked for the past three years for a new warehouse and buying this current one makes the most sense,” Unkelbach said.
“Being close to the interstate is always really needed. As we are traveling more outside of Jacksonville than ever before and now owning our own space is an investment for the future.”
Pattillo Vice President Peter Anderson said July 6 that John Cole and Andrew Hawkins at Franklin Street brokered the deal.
Jackie Stalvey, director of asset management, led the project for Pattillo Industrial Real Estate.
“Pattillo Industrial Real Estate is very pleased to welcome AVL to Westside Industrial Park,” Anderson said.