The last remaining parcel of undeveloped property in Stone Fort Industrial Park, originally developed by Stone Fort Land Co., is being developed by Kelkid. Kelkid’s owners, Wes and Alan Kelley, are constructing a 10,000 square foot industrial building at 4334 North Creek Road.
The park dates back to the 1960s, when Tommy Lupton’s Stone Fort Land Company acquired the land. Lupton took over the company from his father in the late 1950s and ran it for about 45 years.
Under Lupton’s leadership, Stone Fort developed not only this industrial park but also Heritage Landing, the Tennessee American Water Company, the TVA Complex, and the Tallan and Krystal buildings.
Kelkid owns and manages leasable industrial property in the Amnicola Highway area, including properties acquired from Stone Fort Land Co.
Wes Kelley says Lupton shaped what Kelkid has become. “We feel fortunate that Mr. Lupton not only sold our first building to us but also acted as our mentor over the years,” he says. “We’ve stayed true to his model of free-standing buildings with less than 15,000 square feet.”
Kelley says facilities this size have remained in demand since Kelkid’s start in 2002.
“This is our sixth facility. We hope to continue our steady growth for the coming years,” he says.
When finished, the site will include the 10,000 square foot building with a dock and four drive-in doors, and will offer many customizable options.
“This space will be good for service industries, distribution, light manufacturing, or warehousing operations,” Alan Kelley says. “It will appeal to a variety of tenants.”
The park has several similar structures and is home to other large manufacturing tenants. Companies calling Stone Fort Industrial Park home include Baker Distributing Co., Chattanooga Coca Cola Bottling Co., Metal Tek International, River Bend Materials, American Bicycle Group, Ferguson, Zeco, MRO, Laurel Mountain Spring Water, Litespeed, Eightco and Partners Supply Co.
“This park and this site are very centralized and offer easy access to the entire region,” says Benjamin Pitts, leasing agent with Herman Walldorf Commercial Real Estate. “There’s a traffic light to exit the park and it’s close to Highway 153, so it’s easy to get downtown and onto the interstates.”
Construction is scheduled to be complete in December.