A manufacturing and supply company has chosen Wilmington as its first location in the USA.
Australia and Canada-based Protocase Inc. manufactures and prototypes parts for various industries, including aerospace and defense, according to a June 2024 announcement of the decision.
On the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting was a resolution authorizing the leasing of space on the fourth floor of the Skyline Center in downtown Wilmington to Protocase Inc. The initial lease is for three years, with total rent set at $93,771 per year – a rate that increases annually.
According to the resolution, the lease will cover an area of 3,194 square meters. The contract also provides for a one-time extension of four years, so that the total term is seven years.
On Tuesday, the Wilmington City Council unanimously passed the resolution as part of the meeting agenda.
The company’s decision to open a location at Skyline Center was driven by its “location and convenient access to cultural and lifestyle amenities,” according to the announcement. The port city’s proximity to universities, community colleges and military bases also influenced the company’s decision.
Related coverage: The Skyline Center in Wilmington is getting new tenants. Here you can see who has signed so far.
The company’s expansion to Wilmington is expected to help it better serve American customers, according to the announcement. The Wilmington office will have an American service team that can obtain approvals to work with the aerospace and defense industries.
Within the next five years, the company plans to open a manufacturing facility in Wilmington as part of its second phase of expansion, the announcement said. The facility will support Protocase and its subsidiaries: Protospace Mfg, Protomentum and open source data storage leader 45Drives.
“We love Wilmington in virtually every way. There is a tangible synergy in culture, work ethic and coastal mentality with the city and its people, and we are excited to get involved and add value to an already wonderful business community,” said Doug Milburn, co-founder of Protocase Inc. in the announcement. “The team at Wilmington Business Development has also been fantastic to work with and has had a positive impact on our decision-making process.”
Several other tenants have already moved into Skyline Center after the city purchased the building for $68 million in mid-July 2023. Lauren Edwards of the city’s communications office compiled the following list of other tenants occupying space at Skyline Center:
- Capsized LAS
- Leased area: 6,000 square feet.
- Annual rent: $25,000.
- Coastal drink
- Rented area: 374 square meters.
- Annual rent: $143,606.
- LINC, Inc.
- Leased area: 702 square feet.
- Annual rent: $23,400.
- Local State Credit Union (Civic)
- Rented area: 284 square meters.
- Annual rent: $132,349.
- Wealth of the Sanctuary (Tova)
- Leased area: 846 square feet.
- Annual rent: $32,480.
- Three friends
- Leased area: 800 square feet.
- Annual rent: $16,800.
- Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Rented area: 374 square meters.
- Annual rent: $127,556.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Leased area: 57,292 square feet.
- Annual rent: $1.8 million.
In total, these nine leases bring the city about $2.4 million annually, according to the city’s communications office. Four more leases are currently being negotiated and, if finalized, would bring in an additional $760,000, bringing the total annual revenue to about $3.16 million, which would cover 80 to 85 percent of Skyline Center’s operating costs.
By consolidating city operations at Skyline Center, the city was able to dispose of other aging buildings, saving more than $5 million in repair and maintenance costs, according to information from the city’s communications office. After studying the city’s operational space and parking needs, the purchase of the facility provided savings of approximately $55 million compared to construction alternatives, such as renovating an existing city office building at 305 Chestnut Street and other projects.
