400 New Jobs to be Created in Victorville, California

    VICTORVILLE, CA, September 21, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over the next 36 to 48 months, approximately 400 new jobs will be created in Victorville, Calif. This is being made possible through the lease Stirling Capital Investments secured with United Furniture Industries (UFI), a manufacturer of furniture that is sold primarily under the Simmons brand name. UFI will occupy a 505,192-square-foot industrial facility at the Southern California Logistics Centre (SCLC) in November 2011. The 1 million-square-foot building was built in 2009 in a strategic move to attract businesses like UFI that need space more quickly than the ground-up development process.

"We are thrilled to be adding a significant number of jobs to the Victor Valley. Over a 12-month period, more than 500 jobs have been created at SCLC giving a nice boost to the regional economy," said Brian Parno, chief operating officer of Stirling Development, the managing partner of Stirling Capital Investments. "Many large companies are making SCLC their West Coast home which says a lot about how they value the positive business environment and infrastructure offered here. We have made a significant investment in the community and it is satisfying to witness the transformation of the region."

UFI, a Mississippi-based company, has signed an agreement that will position the company with a West Coast manufacturing and distribution facility to better serve Southern California and Western U.S. markets. The firm plans to immediately hire 100 people and grow to approximately 400 employees within the next 36 to 48 months.

"UFI will begin the process of local staff development in mid October. We plan to complete a soft opening of manufacturing and distribution operations in November. We expect our employment to exceed 100 people early in the first quarter of 2012," said Bob Cottam, spokesperson for UFI.

The County of San Bernardino's Department of Workforce Development will assist UFI in the hiring process. A job fair will be advertised in the local press in October. Additionally, UFI has hired a private consultant from the region to aid the firm during this hiring and staffing process, and develop a productive workforce in the High Desert.

Cottam further stated, "UFI has a history of making every effort possible to procure goods and services in the local communities where we have a manufacturing presence. We are excited about the prospects for our success in the Western United States and this new facility in the California High Desert. From day one, when our team arrived in Victorville, to evaluate the region and the SCLC complex, the City and County were most accommodating and helpful in their advice and guidance."

"UFI conducted an exhaustive search throughout the six western states and chose Victorville, Calif. for its home due to the quality of available space, attractive workforce, a pro-business atmosphere and the proximity to major West Coast markets from California's High Desert," said Cottam.

Joseph W. Brady, CCIM, SIOR of the Bradco Companies represented UFI in the transaction. Stirling was represented by Jay Dick and Mark Latimer of CB Richard Ellis.

The UFI commitment follows in a trend of recent leasing activity at SCLC. To date in 2011, leases have encompassed more than 1,078,000 square feet with companies including a major confectionary company, Sparkletts Water, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Southern California Aviation (SCA). These companies join an extensive roster of companies located in the High Desert that includes Boeing, GE, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, ConAgra Foods, Plastipak and Goodyear.

"This is a great example of a public-private partnership that is meeting its goals to create jobs and develop a long-term economic engine," said Mayor Ryan McEachron. "Our partnership started in 1998 with a vision to redevelop the former George Air Force Base into a job center for the region.

"We make progress toward this promise each year by adding to our corporate roster and building out the Global Access master plan," Parno adds. "County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt has been very supportive of our efforts in the region, and is very tuned in to the opportunities for growth in the High Desert."

SCLC is master planned for 60 million square feet of commercial and industrial development and is undergoing a 6.5 million-square-foot first phase. Approximately 3 million square feet has been constructed to date.

United Furniture Industries
UFI holds the exclusive licensing agreement as the U.S. manufacturer of Simmons Upholstery, a leading resource for microfiber, bonded leather, and upholstered seating. The company produces an extensive, affordable line of trendsetting furniture including sofa models, sectionals, chaise lounges, recliners, motion sofas, juvenile seating and Hide-A-Bed sleepers.

UFI was created from the merger and acquisition of Comfort Furniture, Parkhill Furniture and United Chair in 2000. Today, UFI is one of the largest domestic producers of upholstered furniture.

UFI has more than 2,200 employees and 3.8 million square feet of production and distribution space with locations in Okolona, Hatley, Nettleton and Amory Mississippi, Archdale, Winston-Salem and Lexington, North Carolina and now in Victorville, California.

Global Access Victorville
Global Access Victorville, the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, Calif., is an 8,500-acre multimodal freight transportation hub supported by air, ground and rail connections. Global Access Victorville is comprised of Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA), a 2,500-acre world-class air cargo and aviation facility; Southern California Logistics Centre (SCLC), a 2,500-acre commercial and industrial complex entitled for 60 million square feet of development; and Southern California Rail Complex (SCRC), a planned 3,500-acre intermodal and multimodal complex entailing rail-served facilities. Stirling and the City of Victorville have teamed up to redevelop the former George Air Force Base into Global Access Victorville, the largest fully-integrated commercial development in the region, which is anticipated to create more than 24,000 jobs and support another 18,500 jobs in the surrounding area. Global Access Victorville offers 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations with onsite U.S. Customs. It has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone and a Local Agency Military Base Recovery Act Zone by the federal government. It has two intercontinental runways and can accommodate all current-flying commercial and military aircraft with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week air tower operations and emergency response capabilities comparable to that of the world's largest airports. For more information, visit www.globalaccessvictorville.com.

About Stirling Capital Investments
Stirling Capital Investments is a joint venture between Stirling, a Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based strategic, full-service, value-added development company specializing in master-planned communities and major developments and Denver, Colo.-based DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (NYSE: DCT), a leading industrial real estate investment trust. Stirling is led by partners Dougall Agan and Chris Downey, who have been responsible for more than $3 billion in development activity on large-scale land development projects in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is a leading real estate company specializing in the ownership, acquisition, development and management of bulk distribution and light industrial properties located in 25 of the highest volume distribution markets in the U.S. as well as Mexico.

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