Why Global Manufacturers Are Planting 200K-Plus-SF Warehouses in Charlotte

Multinational companies are flocking to the city of Charlotte and the broader North Carolina economy for its strategic location, generously-sized commercial spaces, talented employee pool, booming economic development, and so much more. Seated in one of the “megaregions” of the United States, Charlotte provides an attractive destination on the eastern seaboard for business leaders amongst a wide range of industries who are looking to expand into greater business growth.

In 2024 and 2025, Bosch Rexroth of Germany, AVL Manufacturing—a Canadian-based company, and Trench Group GmbH of Germany have made big moves to build 200,000+ square foot buildings in the metropolitan area.

Why Global Manufacturers Are Planting 200K-Plus-SF Warehouses in Charlotte

Across North America, Charlotte is known as one of the major markets for manufacturing, setting itself apart as a manufacturing powerhouse with its skilled workforce, ideal location along the I-85 corridor, performance-based cash grants, and more. The Charlanta area between the Carolinas and Georgia is continually advancing as a booming economic fireball, with a gross domestic product approximately the same size as the entire country of South Korea.

While vacancy rates in the industrial space sphere are going down, the community is continuing to fill with high quality, modern facilities with advanced technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Let’s take a closer look at the companies who are surging to Charlotte for maximum square footage in one of the nation’s prime locations.

Recent Multinational Moves—The Charlotte Big-Shed Surge

In Mecklenburg County, Bosch Rexroth, AVL Manufacturing, and Trench Group GmbH are taking advantage of the benefits that Charlotte has to offer and providing hundreds of jobs to the community.

Bosch Rexroth

Bosch Rexroth, an engineering firm based in Germany, recently signed a 234,706-square-foot industrial lease in the massive Carolina Logistics Park in Pineville, NC, on the south end of Charlotte. As a multinational engineering company and automated machine manufacturer, Bosch had a goal to “consolidate and streamline operations” and meet the growing needs of their customers.

Pete Kidwell from Beacon Partners, the company who owns the park, shared, “Their space will be state-of-the-art, with building features designed to inspire their workforce and reflect the caliber of work they produce”.

This 2024 project was completed for the purpose of consolidating two existing Charlotte locations, on South Lakes Drive and D Ducks Lane, combining them both into the new Pineville space.

The Carolina Logistics Park is a 288-acre industrial park that’s home to big-name corporations, including Amazon, Carolina Foods, W.W. Grainger Inc., and others. This established Pineville location is a collaboration hub that’s highly valued for its close proximity to major highways, including I-77 and I-485. Other benefits include access to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, as well as its warehouse and distribution infrastructure, which is ideal for supply chain operations, logistics, and overall operational efficiency.

AVL Manufacturing

AVL Manufacturing is in the process of moving to a new 232,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Charlotte at 13006 Sam Neely Road, in the Steele Creek area. The Canadian-based company expects to create 325 new jobs as they invest over $56 million in the new building.

Headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, AVL Manufacturing provides custom energy storage systems, and specializes in industrial enclosures for power generators.

According to Vince Dicristofaro, president of AVL, the company evaluated many markets before choosing Charlotte. He shared, “We didn’t just choose a location; we chose a community. Charlotte’s spirit of collaboration and its talented workforce made it the clear choice for our American-based home. We are excited to tap into this talent pool as we establish our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and create meaningful careers for the residents of this city and deliver unparalleled products to our customers.”

Jobs within the company will include service technicians, electricians, production, and management. The average salary for these jobs will be $76,052, which is above the MSA average.

The One North Carolina Fund is supporting the company with a $100,000, performance-based grant. The OneNC fund works to help attract economic investment in order to create more jobs in North Carolina. It works with local governments to encourage job creation. With this grant, no money is given upfront. Instead, companies have to meet specific job creation and capital investment goals in order to actually receive the payment. In addition, grants from the One North Carolina Fund also have to have a matching grant from the local government.

This specific OneNC grant for AVL Manufacturing is tied to 122 company jobs, with an average salary of $90,088.

In a recent Instagram post, AVL Manufacturing shared that they’ll be launching the new facility on Sam Neely Road in September of 2025. Currently, the company is hosting weekly job fairs in order to attract employees.

Trench Group GmbH

HSP US LLC is a subsidiary of Trench Group GmbH, which is based in Germany. Trench Group GmbH develops and manufactures systems and components for high-voltage power transmission, and the company has chosen Charlotte for its first plant based in the U.S. The new, 200,000+ square foot facility is currently under construction and is scheduled to be ready for use in early 2026.

Regarding the move, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles shared, “This new high-tech facility further strengthens Charlotte’s status as a growing energy hub and will bring advanced manufacturing jobs to our city. This is a continuation of our city’s ongoing efforts to strengthen and build new relationships in Germany.”

HSP US LLC mentioned a number of reasons for choosing Charlotte as their first U.S. location, including the strong Mecklenburg County workforce, the connectivity of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and the strategic location, resulting in reduced delivery times and additional opportunities for Canadian customers.

HSP will be working with Central Piedmont Community College on a workforce training and apprenticeship program.

The company is investing over $60 million in the facility and plans to create 74 new jobs.

Five Pull Factors Driving the Deals

What are the major elements drawing international corporations to the Charlotte area? Here are the 5 main pull factors that are causing companies to build their big-box warehouses in North Carolina’s thriving economy:

1. Prime East-Coast Reach

Charlotte is located on I-85 and is part of the East Coast “Charlanta”—a “megaregion” in the United States that generates $1 trillion in economic activity each year.

While this region used to be a hub for textiles and furniture, the tides have changed. While the majority of the textile manufacturing jobs have phased out, the financial sector has skyrocketed.

The trends in real estate have changed, too. In the industrial and manufacturing sector, the area used to be filled with smaller, specialized, older buildings. Now, we’re seeing more and more large manufacturing buildings, warehouses, and distribution centers. While 50,000 square foot buildings used to be the popular choice, the area is now filling up with new builds of 300,000 square feet and more.

With manufacturing and warehousing centered around the I-85 corridor, it’s no wonder that businesses are flocking to the Charlotte area.

2. Multimodal Fire Power

If the groundbreaking I-85 corridor isn’t enough, Charlotte is also home to the Norfolk Southern’s Charlotte Regional Intermodal Facility— a 200-acre terminal conveniently located next to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, in the so-called Airport Neighborhood. For Charlotte businesses and surrounding industries, the intermodal facility provides unparalleled access to reliable, convenient transportation on the 19,500-mile route.

The Norfolk Southern connects 800 sites all around the eastern side of the United States, giving eastern warehousing companies significant advantages for shipping large loads.

3. Cost Edge

In Q1 of 2025, industrial vacancy decreased for the first time in 2 years—down to 8.2%. At the same time, development activity surges ahead, with 4.2 million square feet underway in March of 2025, and 1.4 million square feet already completed.

Yet despite the new builds and lower industrial rates, Charlotte businesses still enjoy a competitive advantage, securing reasonable lease rates in this economically booming “megaregion”. In the Charlotte area, industrial properties typically cost between $10-20/sf per year.

4. Talent Pipeline

The Charlotte area is home to numerous colleges, welcoming trained and energetic employees to the booming Charlotte economy. The University City area, home to UNCC (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), is especially known as a magnetic hub for finding top talent.

Employers are also drawn to the North Carolina Community College Customized Training program. This program provides “education, training and support services for new, expanding and existing business and industry in North Carolina”. The program is connected to a network of 58 community colleges throughout the state and serves all 100 counties in North Carolina.

Although North Carolina and the Charlotte area are known for their top talent across industries, the manufacturing sector especially benefits from the blue-collar workforce that the area has to offer. In an announcement about the AVL Manufacturing relocation, Governor Josh Stein shared, “With the largest manufacturing workforce in the southeast and excellent community colleges, North Carolina is home to the resources that world-class companies depend on.”

5. Performance-Based Cash Grants

AVL Manufacturing has secured a $100,000 performance-based grant from the OneNC Fund—just one of many businesses to take advantage of the cash grants that North Carolina has to offer.

The One North Carolina (OneNC) Fund works with local governments to provide discretionary grants to companies in order to encourage them to create jobs, bolstering the state’s economy. OneNC requires local governments to match an incentive amount that’s offered to each particular company. The grant is given over time, dispersed in increments of 25% as new jobs are created through the company.

Another popular grant is JDIG—or the Job Development Investment Grant—which is awarded on a performance-based system in order to encourage companies to invest in the state and create more jobs. Grants through JDIG play a vital role in offsetting the cost of building or purchasing a new or expanding facility in North Carolina.

The JDIG program pays out grants over time on an annual basis, for a period of up to 12 years.

These grants help to build strong relationships between companies and their state and local community.

Get Your Charlotte Big-Shed Relocation Playbook

Looking to relocate and open your next 200K+ square foot warehouse in the greater Charlotte area? Our team at Regent Commercial Real Estate prides ourselves in providing expert advice and unmatched commercial real estate solutions for companies all over the Charlotte area in North and South Carolina.

We’ve partnered with hundreds of business owners both locally and globally to create customized plans for small businesses and expanding corporations, helping our customers to meet their business goals and find the perfect space.

With extensive experience and prestigious commercial real estate credentials, when you partner with Regent, you know that you’re getting the highest level of expertise. As we work to pair you with your ideal property, we’ll get to know your business goals, examine market conditions, show you the widest range of available properties (including those not visible to the general public), and provide expert negotiation in lease and purchase contracts.

Ready to find your next warehouse space? The process doesn’t have to be an anxiety-inducing experience. Let us do the heavy lifting. Get your free big-shed market report or contact us today to start the conversation.