MRC Global recently announced its U.S. subsidiary has entered into 15-year leases with a unit of Liberty Property Trust  to open a new regional distribution center  and operational hub for the Gulf Coast area in La Porte, Texas.

The new facility will house more than 400,000 square feet of warehouse space, have more than 75,000 square feet of office space and an extensive pipe yard to support MRC Global's customers in this important refining and chemical market, the company explained.

"MRC Global is excited to open this new facility, which will be our largest distribution center in our global operations and one of the largest warehouses for a single distribution company in the Houston area," MRC Global President and CEO Andrew Lane said. "We plan to relocate our operations at Galena Park, Texas, and Darien Street in Houston to the new facility as well as two other satellite locations to provide an efficient and seamless experience to support our Gulf Coast customers. As part of the facility, we also are building a state-of-the-art valve actuation center, a fulfillment center for our online MRCGO catalog and establishing a hub for technical PVF excellence.

"In addition to our valve, automation, measurement and instrumentation product offerings, we will supply our stainless and high alloy product lines from the new RDC as well as our traditional gas utility, carbon pipe, fitting and flange and oilfield supply products. This center is designed to improve our efficiency while maintaining the high level of service our customers have come to expect from MRC Global. When completed, we will consolidate more than 150 employees and $60 million of inventory into the new facility from the four current facilities that support both MRO and project activity.  The center will support the company's future growth needs and utilize the latest in warehousing technologies for our industry."

The new facility, located at the Port Crossing Commerce Center in La Porte on Texas Highway 146, is strategically located near many of MRC Global's downstream refining and chemical customers. It has ready access to rail at the facility and to the container terminals at Barbours Cut Terminal and the Bayport Terminal, both of which are less than three miles away.

MRC Global expects the RDC to be operational in late 2017 and the adjacent offices to be ready in the third quarter of 2018.

Colliers International and Wilson Cribbs + Goren represented Liberty Property Trust, and Cushman & Wakefield and Locke Lord L.L.P. represented MRC Global in the leasing transactions.