Print
Real Estate - Commercial

North American Division Of Global Firm Moves To Downtown Wilmington

By Cece Nunn, posted Dec 7, 2018
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo (left) congratulates David Ivey, managing director of Kesseböhmer USA Inc., on his downtown office space as Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of Wilmington Downtown Inc., looks on. (Photo by Cece Nunn)
Restored historic space in downtown Wilmington is giving a North American division of a German company room to grow.

Kesseböhmer USA Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-end storage solutions for the kitchen industry, has been in Wilmington since about 2007, moving recently from Barclay Commons to 106 Market St. The firm's parent company was founded in Germany and has a presence in 80 countries.

"We're happy to be downtown. We have been here now for 12 years in Wilmington, but we moved our headquarters downtown because of the environment and the excitement to be here," said David Ivey, managing director of Kesseböhmer USA Inc., during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at the new office space.

Ivey added, "We are a 60-plus-year-old company and growing. We have over 3,000 employees [worldwide], but Wilmington is a focal point for us  . . . We're going to grow and we're going to bring new jobs here for sure; if we get certain businesses up and running, we'll even bring factory jobs, we'll bring executive jobs.

"I think we'll bring a lot to Wilmington. So we're excited about the space from an historical perspective, but it gives us room to grow. It's over 5,000 square feet and we're going to fill it."

Developer James Goodnight, who owns several downtown Wilmington properties, purchased the buildings at 1 and 9 S. Front St. and has been renovating each floor, relocating the main building entrance to Market Street (resulting in the 106 Market St. address).

At the event Thursday, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said, "This is a phenomenal space that continues with the vision of what we have for revitalization efforts in downtown Wilmington."

Kesseböhmer USA Inc. has 200,000 square feet of distribution space in Leland.

In addition to Kesseböhmer USA Inc., downtown Wilmington is also home to an office of the store fixture division of Kessebohmer that has also been growing. That division, Kesseböhmer Retail Merchandising, has been sharing the new office space with Kesseböhmer USA Inc. as its office at 130 N. Front St. is repaired because of Hurricane Florence damage. 

Hill Rogers, broker in charge of Cameron Management, represented Kesseböhmer USA Inc. in leasing the Front Street space, while Brian Wallace of York Properties represented Goodnight.

Editor's note: This version has been changed to reflect the property's new address of 106 Market St. and add punctuation to the name of the company.
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Gretchen roberts 2021

From Contracts to Offshoring: 7 Powerful Gross Margin Growth Levers

Gretchen Roberts - Red Bike Advisors
Chris coudriet

Housing Initiatives Creating Meaningful Impact in New Hanover County

Chris Coudriet - New Hanover County Government
Untitleddesign13

The Benefits of Choosing Local Partners in Construction

Jim Hundley - Thomas Construction Group

In The Current Issue

Bakatsias Restaurant Group Grows Locally

Giorgios Bakatsias and his company – Giorgios Hospitality Group – will also be opening Tomikosan sushi bar at Lumina Station, bringing the g...


Recreation Plans Move Ahead

While the organizers of all the ventures hope to provide their communities with a variety of recreational opportunities, some projects are c...


A Shiny 2025 For Luxe Sales?

“In 2025, we anticipate continued growth in both the number of luxury homes sold and their pricing, driven by sustained demand from high-ne...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2024 Power Breakfast: The Next Season