Mystery solved: Steel signals opportunity for Drexel industrial site

A week ago, it was a mystery as to why a large section of steel beams and other construction materials had been placed in the parking lot directly across from the newly developed industrial site in downtown Drexel.

Now, the mystery has been cleared up, and opportunity is plainly knocking at the site, and the town, Burke Development Inc., and Wilkie Construction are hopeful someone will quickly answer.

Those materials are the structural steel and other components required for construction of a 50,000 square foot industrial building.

So how did this mystery unfold?

First, some bad luck was required for Wilkie Construction of Lenoir.

Wilkie was all set to build a 50,000 square foot building for a client in Caldwell County when, at the last minute, the client cancelled and the company was literally left holding the bag.

“Neither the town nor the county have the resources to pay for a spec building on the Drexel site,” said BDI President and CEO Brandon Ruppe, “but Wilkie agreed to locate the building materials next to the site.

“We see this as a great marketing tool for both the Town of Drexel and Wilkie Construction,” Ruppe continued. “It’s a unique partnership and it shows the benefits of being flexible. Wilkie needed to store the building materials somewhere. Why not show them off on Main Street in Drexel?”

“This really represents a strategic marketing approach,” said Josh Wilkie, president of Wilkie Construction. “The Drexel site is an absolutely fabulous site, and people are realizing that constructing a new building often makes better financial sense than trying to restore an old one.”

Wilkie also said the materials represent a big bargain for potential buyers.

“That steel was purchased before steel prices shot up sharply,” he said. “That could represent a substantial savings.”

Drexel Town Manager Bill Carroll is pleased that the town could provide the space for the Wilkie materials and is excited about what may now happen on the site.

“Certainly, it makes for quick accessibility if someone is interested in the building,” Carroll said. “It’s a great partnership and it provides us with another option as we move forward.”

The industrial site was home to Drexel Furniture Company from the time it was launched in the early 1900s until its final closure in the early 2000s.

At one time, the site held not only a large furniture factory and a sprawling lumberyard to support it, but also the corporate headquarters for Drexel Furniture and a showroom to display new products in the spring and fall furniture markets.

The cleanup and grading of the site have cost more than $6 million, the bulk of which has been supplied by state and federal grant funding. The effort to get the site ready for use again has taken well over a decade.

Both Carroll and Ruppe have previously noted that the site is appealing due to its proximity to the railroad and needed utilities.

Unlike many industrial parks built farther outside of downtown areas, Drexel’s site sits directly across the train tracks from the downtown business district, something both Carroll and Ruppe believe could create ripple effects for local businesses.

“When you’re investing in this site, you’re investing in the whole town,” Carroll said.

This is a developing story, and The Paper will update it as more information becomes available.