Industrial Space for E-Commerce, 3PL and Fulfillment

The specs that matter for fulfillment

• Clear height, because your capacity is vertical. Your pallet or shelf positions divided by rack levels is your floor requirement. A 16 to 18-foot suite holds far more inventory than a 15-foot suite of the same footprint. See Clear Height Explained.
• Clear floor for packing and staging. Pick, pack and ship needs benches, cartons, dunnage and outbound staging. The line item most first-time tenants forget, and usually larger than they expect.
• A door that fits your carriers. Most parcel and LTL pickups work fine at grade level. Full trailer loads need dock-high, which at our properties means Rankin Business Park in Troy.
• Heat. All warehouse suites at all three properties are heated, which matters in a Michigan winter for both staff and temperature-sensitive inventory. Warehouse air conditioning varies by suite.
• Somewhere for a desk. Customer service, purchasing and returns need a workspace. Z Novi Commons runs roughly 20 percent finished office, which suits this well.

Sizing your first warehouse

• Count inventory at peak, not average. Then add receiving and staging, packing stations, outbound staging, returns processing, office, and aisles wide enough for whatever you move product with. Storage footprint is usually well under half your total. See How Much Warehouse Space Do I Need?.

On growth, the smartest structure for a growing e-commerce business is to lease tight and negotiate a right of first refusal on adjacent space, rather than paying for square footage you will not use for two years. Ask at letter of intent stage.

Which property fits

• Rankin Business Park, Troy — the volume option. Tallest clear height at 16'–18', dock-high in select suites for trailer freight, 14-foot grade-level doors, suites up to 10,000 SF as you grow, lowest rate at $11.95/SF/YR MG.

Z Novi Commons, Novi — the best fit for a small e-commerce operation with a customer-facing element. Roughly 20 percent finished office, glass storefront, 24/7 access for late shipping days, free overnight company vehicle parking, heated. 1,475–2,800 SF at $17/SF/YR MG. E-commerce is explicitly a core tenant type here.

Northville Research Center — 1,278–5,800 SF small-bay with a Seven Mile storefront, 16-foot clear, 12-foot doors, at $20/SF/YR MG.

Practical things to check before signing

Carrier access, meaning whether your regular carriers can reach the door and turn around in the yard. 24/7 access if you ship late or handle peak season. Whether racking installation needs landlord approval, which it usually does. Whether the floor is rated for your loads. Insurance requirements for your inventory value.

Frequently asked questions