Ownership of planned industrial park changes

The ownership of a planned 220-acre Strafford industrial park has changed.

Rich Kramer said he and Bob Kramer of Rich Kramer Construction Inc. bought out their business partners: John Kramer and Brad Williams of Williams and Kramer LLC, as well as local developer Titus Williams. Rich Kramer declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal, which was completed May 15.

"It made more sense for us to part ways and go a different direction," Titus Williams said. "John Kramer wanted to slow down and retire and it made more sense to sell the development part."

Rich Kramer said of the 220 acres, 180 are useable for industrial purposes.

Part of the useable space was taken by St. Louis-based occupational footwear company Warson Group Inc., which is planning a 160,000-square-foot distribution warehouse on 10 acres at the park to be operational by the end of the year, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Additionally, the Strafford development plan includes a 24-unit multifamily housing project designed to create a buffer between the industrial park and residential neighborhoods on roughly nine acres, according to past SBJ reporting.

Reached yesterday, Williams said he is still on board with the multifamily housing project.

Kramer said the development group continues to hear from interested companies, though no additional deals have been made. Buyers have the option to build-to-suit or to work with the development group through design-build leaseback agreements, according to past SBJ reporting.

Announced in fall 2019, the industrial park is designed with rail access and is nearby Interstate 44.