frēijē HQ Construction Starts in Lawrence Trades District
frēijē Engineered Solutions company held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, May 21st with employees, City of Lawrence officials and Browning’s development and construction team to celebrate one of the first new developments to be constructed in the Lawrence Trades District.
“The redevelopment of this site along the Pendleton Pike Corridor by a company like frēijē Engineered Solutions Company, who is committed to promoting education and job growth within the City of Lawrence, is the right fit,” said Mayor Steve Collier. “This Indiana company has over 50 years of experience meeting client and community needs, and we are excited to have such a positive, engaged corporate citizen join us as an anchor of the Trades District.”
Originally founded in 1959, frēijē design/build/service mechanical, refrigeration, and plumbing company will make a capital investment of more than six million dollars in the Lawrence Trades District. Its new corporate headquarters will feature office space, warehouse space and an in-house training center to teach mechanical, refrigeration, and plumbing skills.
“frēijē strives to promote a work culture and environment that attracts, retains and grows its people,” said Michael Webster, owner & CEO. “Having a physical environment in a centrally located, modern, functional building customized for the unique needs of our industry and frēijē’s cultural mission of building careers and community leaders, is what will propel our growth over the next 50 years.”
frēijē selected the Lawrence Trades District for their new facility as it offers excellent visibility, interstate access, and a supportive community with a myriad co-location benefits. Lawrence has helped grow technology companies through their technology focused initiatives, and frēijē believes the same will happen with trades focused companies through the Lawrence Trades District initiative.
“It was important to be centrally located to speed up our response time to our customers. We have well over 100 service vehicles that visit the office often for support and materials,” continued Webster. “Mayor Collier and his team were fantastic to work with during the entire process. I am convinced they want frēijē in their community, and frēijē wants to be in Lawrence and contribute to the community.”
Browning, an Indianapolis based real estate developer served as the development manager, assisting frēijē in securing the site through the City of Lawrence RFP process and negotiating the appropriate entitlements and public improvements. Browning will continue at the project as construction manager with targeted completion at the end of 2021.
“In selecting Browning as development manager, frēijē recognized the long-standing development relationship Browning has built over the last 15 years working with the City of Lawrence,” said Mark Susemichel, chief development officer at Browning. “We were brought in early to help frēijē navigate the City’s RFP process, finding mutually beneficial terms and are excited to help them bring the first new development in the Lawrence Trade District out of the ground.”
The City of Lawrence’s Redevelopment Commission goal is to attract investment and increase employment options in the skilled trades, making Lawrence a true hub for the trades in Central Indiana. frēijē will join Mission Mechanical, Midwest Remediation, and Amerifence as key anchors of the Trades District on land that was formerly a gas station, auto service garage and a Knight’s Inn.
“The entire Lawrence community is excited for this major step in making the Lawrence Trades District a reality. Lawrence has become a shining star for all of Central Indiana, and frēijē choosing to locate here on such a visible piece of ground is affirmation that Lawrence is the premiere place in the region to live, work, and play.” said Brad Klopfenstein, president of the Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.
