Under Armour to build distribution facility in Sparrows Point
Facility expected to generate 1,000 jobs for the area
Under Armour is planning to open a new 1.3 million-square-foot distribution and warehouse facility which is expected to eventually bring 1,000 jobs to Baltimore County.
The facility, which is expected to open in summer 2018, will be part of the Tradepoint Atlantic redevelopment of the Sparrows Point peninsula.
“Under Armour’s new e-commerce distribution house at Tradepoint Atlantic is a perfect match for our vision for Sparrows Point -- a hometown company investing in the region and bringing 1,000 jobs to Baltimore County,” Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement. “Under Armour’s success is based on commitment, respect and the ability to creatively and strategically meet the demands of the marketplace. We are proud to be part of that team.”
Under Armour CEO and founder Kevin Plank said his company’s fourth distribution house will be a top-notch service engine for the company’s e-commerce business for its growing customer base around the world. The company's other facilities include one in Curtis Bay along with distribution houses in Rialto, California, and Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Baltimore County and the state to create economic and job opportunities for the greater Baltimore community and Maryland as a whole,” Plank said in a statement.
Under Armour officials said the facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment and systems to enhance the company’s product distribution to its growing base of e-commerce consumers.
“Baltimore County proactively put key pieces in place to make Tradepoint Atlantic’s Sparrows Point site attractive to business,” said Will Anderson, director of the Baltimore County Department of Economic and Workforce Development, in a statement. “We initiated creation of the Chesapeake Enterprise Zone, established a foreign trade zone to facilitate global commerce and set up training systems for distribution operations workers.”
Under Armour joins FedEx Ground and Pasha Automotive as tenants of Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,100-acre development on the site of the former Sparrows Point steel mill. The project features a combination of access to deep-water berths, railroads and highways that is ideal for global distribution and advanced manufacturing.
"There are not many sites that can accommodate the scale of this project," said Eric Gilbert, executive vice president of Tradepoint Atlantic. "It's dramatic. These types of developments will bring billions of dollars of economic value to the region."
“Our vision for Sparrows Point is to attract world-class companies that want to take advantage of Baltimore’s deep talent pool, prime mid-Atlantic location and integrated transportation network,” Kamenetz said. “We’re well on our way to fulfilling that vision and bringing 10,000 jobs back to Sparrows Point."
Gov. Larry Hogan called Under Armour, which is based in Baltimore, a true Maryland success story.
“As a pivotal new tenant at Tradepoint Atlantic, Under Armour will play a big part in this site’s resurgence to a center of economic activity and trade. We applaud Kevin Plank and his team for the visionary decision to open their latest distribution house -- and create 1,000 jobs over the coming years -- right here in Maryland," Hogan said in a statement.
"There's a whole spillover effect into the communities and that reaches hundreds of miles out," Gilbert said.
"We're going to see another 8,000 jobs in the next several years here that are good-paying jobs that will provide that next generation with job security," Kamenetz said.
To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $2 million conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF), and additionally will fund $2 million in real property and infrastructure improvements through the Maryland Economic Development Corp. (MEDCO), according to state officials.
Under Armour is also eligible for various tax credits including Maryland’s Job Creation Tax Credit and Enterprise Zones Property Tax Credit, along with the new sales tax exemption on construction materials and equipment at this site, which Hogan signed into law this year, according to state officials.
Baltimore County is supporting the project with a $200,000 conditional loan for equipment purchase, contingent on County Council approval.
“Under Armour’s latest investment in our state reinforces the fact that Maryland is a great place to do business,” state Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill said in a statement. “Economic development is a team sport, and it’s clear that our team -- from the various state agencies, to the local officials and the private sector -- is committed to supporting this project’s success every step of the way.”
Site work is already underway.
WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Kate Amara contributed to this report
