Miller Construction Breaks Ground on 80,000-Square-Foot Industrial Warehouse for MSI in Orlando
Miller Construction Company, a statewide, privately-held construction firm headquartered in Florida, has officially begun site work on a major new industrial warehouse project in Orlando. The 80,000-square-foot build-to-suit facility is being developed for MSI, the leading nationwide distributor of flooring, countertops, wall tile, and hardscaping products in North America. With a scheduled delivery in the first half of 2024, this project marks a significant milestone both for Miller Construction and for MSI's growing footprint in the Southeast.
A Strategic Location in the Heart of Central Florida
The new warehouse will be situated at 2140 North John Young Parkway in Orlando, Florida, on a 3.53-acre industrial site. The location offers exceptional logistical advantages, with direct access to two of Central Florida's most heavily trafficked transportation corridors: Interstate 4 (I-4) and the 408 Expressway. This connectivity makes the site ideal for a distribution-focused operation like MSI, enabling efficient movement of goods throughout the Southeast region.
Central Florida has experienced rapid commercial and industrial growth over the past several years, with numerous national and multinational businesses establishing local operations. The region's expanding infrastructure, favorable business climate, and booming population have made it one of the most attractive industrial real estate markets in the country. This new warehouse represents MSI's first major project in the area, signaling the company's confidence in the region's long-term growth trajectory.
Project Highlights: Design and Construction Features
The warehouse will be built using a tilt wall construction method, a popular technique for large-scale industrial and commercial buildings that offers speed, strength, and cost efficiency. The structure is designed with 25 columns featuring an expansive 50-foot by 54-foot spacing, providing the wide-open interior spans essential for modern distribution and warehousing operations.
Among the standout functional features of the facility are:
- 13 dock doors, some equipped with recessed truck wells to facilitate efficient loading and unloading of delivery vehicles
- 29 on-site parking spots to support the warehouse workforce
- Full warehouse lighting throughout the interior for operational safety and productivity
- Exhaust fans and louvers integrated into the building envelope for climate and air quality management
- A unique internal crane rail system specifically designed to lift and maneuver heavy flooring and countertop products throughout the warehouse floor
In addition to the primary warehouse space, Miller Construction will complete tenant buildouts totaling approximately 9,500 square feet of office space. This includes four private office suites and one open-plan office area, giving MSI the administrative infrastructure needed to support day-to-day operations at the Orlando facility.
A Technically Challenging Build Requiring Precision Execution
While the scale of the project is impressive, what makes this build particularly notable is the degree of precision required during construction. The site presents a tight footprint for a tilt-wall construction project, with approximately only eight feet of clearance between the building and the neighboring Tesla dealership on the south side of the property line. In tilt-wall construction, large concrete panels are cast on the ground and then tilted up into place using cranes — a process that demands careful planning and exact execution when working in constrained spaces.
MSI has specifically recognized and valued the expertise of Miller Construction's preconstruction team during the planning phase. The ability to anticipate challenges before breaking ground and develop precise, site-specific construction plans is one of the key reasons MSI selected Miller as their construction partner for this project. The Miller team's approach to preconstruction services — including detailed scheduling, logistics planning, and coordination with adjacent property stakeholders — has been critical to setting the project up for success.
Miller Construction's Vision for Central Florida
Brian Sudduth, President of Miller Construction, expressed enthusiasm about the project and its broader significance for the company's presence in Central Florida. "Central Florida has had immense growth over the last few years with many major businesses setting up shop locally, and we are excited to partner with MSI on their first project in the area," Sudduth said. "Our firm plans to execute our construction plan efficiently with top-notch service and reliability for our client."
Miller Construction has built a strong reputation across Florida for delivering complex industrial, commercial, and institutional projects on time and within budget. The company's ability to manage demanding builds — particularly those requiring tight site logistics and custom design solutions — positions it as a premier partner for businesses like MSI looking to expand their distribution capabilities in the Southeast.
A Collaborative Project Team Driving Excellence
A successful project of this complexity requires a multidisciplinary team of experienced professionals working in close coordination. The project team assembled for the MSI Orlando warehouse includes some of Florida's most respected firms across architecture, engineering, and civil design:
- Eleven18 Architecture — responsible for the overall architectural design of the facility
- Construction Engineering Group — handling mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering
- Gutherman Structural Inc. — overseeing structural engineering to ensure the integrity of the tilt-wall construction
- NV5 — managing civil engineering, including site planning, grading, and utility coordination
Together, this team of specialists brings the technical depth and collaborative mindset necessary to deliver a best-in-class industrial facility within the constraints of the site and the ambitious delivery timeline.
What This Project Means for Orlando's Industrial Market
The construction of MSI's new distribution center is a reflection of a larger trend reshaping Orlando's commercial landscape. As e-commerce continues to drive demand for last-mile and regional distribution infrastructure, build-to-suit industrial projects have become an increasingly popular solution for companies seeking facilities tailored to their specific operational needs. Unlike speculative warehouse development, build-to-suit projects allow tenants to design a space from the ground up, optimizing layout, technology, and amenities for their unique workflows.
For MSI, whose product lines include heavy, bulky materials like flooring slabs and stone countertops, having a purpose-built facility with specialized material-handling infrastructure — such as the internal crane rail system — is not just a convenience but a competitive necessity. The Orlando warehouse will play a key role in MSI's ability to serve retail partners, contractors, and homeowners across the Southeast with speed and reliability.
As Miller Construction moves forward with site work and structural panel preparation, all eyes in the Central Florida industrial real estate sector will be watching this project closely. With delivery targeted for early 2024, the new MSI distribution center is poised to become a landmark example of precision-built industrial construction in one of America's fastest-growing metro areas.