Helena Taps Schilling For New Office

By Terry Holland
– The Memphis Business Journal –

Memphis-based Helena Chemical Co., Inc., plans to build a four-story, 104,000 square foot headquarters facility at Schilling Farms in Collierville, vacating the 41,000 square feet it occupies in the Crescent Center in East Memphis by 2001.

One of the nation’s largest formulators and distributors of agriculture chemicals, fertilizer and seed, Helena Chemical has been scouting the market for more than a year. In recent months, office developers said the company would likely build in what is being called the technology corridor, a broad area surrounding the southeast leg of Nonconnah Parkway that extends into Collierville.

Helena Chemical will have plans for the headquarters facility reviewed by the Collierville Planning Commission on May 1. The plan must also be approved by the city’s Design Review Committee and Mayor and Board of Aldermen before construction could begin, which may be mid-summer, says Magi Tilton with the Collierville Planning Office.

It would become the latest tenant at 443-acre Schilling Farms, a multi-use development of Memphis-based Boyle Investment Co. that will include office, residential, light industrial and retail uses. Schilling Farms is home to a new elementary school, YMCA and day care center and will include a church, medical clinics, hotels, banks, restaurants and other amenities.

Helena Chemical plans to build its 104,000 square foot headquarters on 6.3 acres on Schilling Boulevard, the central north-south artery of the development that runs between Poplar and Winchester. It will be located across the street from and south of a $6.5 million Springhill Suites by Marriot hotel being developed by Memphis based Master Hospitality Services, Inc.

Details about Helena Chemical’s investment in the new facility and how many jobs it will add were not available. The company employs about 125 in Memphis and its lease at Crescent Center expires in 2001.

Helena Chemical is a subsidiary of New York-based Marubeni America Crop. – the U.S. arm of Tokyo-based Marabeni Corp – which employs about 2,500 people in 200 locations nationwide.

The Collierville Planning Commission also will consider initial plans from Atlanta-based Hastings Properties, Inc., for a new 18 acre residential development at Schilling Farms. Hastings Properties plans to develop condominiums that will have four, single-family residential units in each building. The residences will be sold, not leased.

In developing Schilling Farms, Boyle Investment is selling off some parcels to other developers, who must meet stringent guidelines established for the multi-use property.

Boyle recently launched its first office facility at the development, a 62,000 square foot office flex facility called Schilling Farms Business Center that should be delivered this month. The building has 14-foot ceilings and is flexible enough for companies needing some storage capacity or medical tenants with higher parking needs.

When completed, the $350 million Schilling Farms development will include 70 acres of distribution space, 80 acres of office space, 900 homes and various retail stores.