Circuit Systems will add about 23,000 square feet to its facility on West Pioneer Parkway to accommodate additional manufacturing space. The original building was a liquor store that was converted to manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Circuit Systems is a family-owned business that launched in 1983 and is owned by Arlington businessman Grady King. It is one of a few U.S.-based, first-tier contract manufacturers making aerospace bonding jumper cables, bus bars and grounding straps.<\/p>\n
The property at 5301 W. Pioneer Parkway spans 7.168 acres north of West Pioneer Parkway and west of West Green Oaks Boulevard. A part of the property is developed with the original 11,880-square-foot building. The company\u2019s products are used in all commercial and military aircraft as well as many other aerospace applications, including the F-22 and F-35 aircraft from Fort Worth-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and on the International Space Station.<\/p>\n
In 2015, King bought and moved into what was previously a Big Daddy\u2019s liquor store that had been vacant for a while. King had plans to expand the building, as business grew and that growth has become a reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Council member Andrew Piel said during the Oct. 14 council meeting that he was impressed with the expansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do want to say this is the best adaptive reuse of a liquor store ever in the history of mankind,\u201d Piel said.<\/p>\n
SBL principal Jordan Pennington is the lead on the Circuit Systems project and Barnett said that Pennington has known King for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrady and Jordan had met each other years ago, and they talked about it. Jordan had done a preliminary kind of study for him several years ago,\u201d said Barnett. He said that Arlington-based engineering firm MMA also is working on the expansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first contact was with Jordan Pennington through a recommendation by MMA. When he moved to SBL and had already started with preliminary plans for the expansion, we naturally moved with him,\u201d King said. \u201cOur relationship with SBL has been very satisfying to this point and is moving along according to our schedule and priorities. Jordan and his team are well qualified and responsive to our needs and questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
King said that when the remodel was finished on the former Big Daddy\u2019s liquor store in 2017, \u201cwe moved from four smaller locations in Arlington and almost immediately filled the space.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that in anticipation of further expansion, the original plans included the remodel and purchase of adjoining property for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the years since, we have added more equipment as well as purchasing a complete and operating machine shop that is presently in one of the old, smaller locations we moved from.\u201d<\/p>\n
King said the original plans for Circuit Systems\u2019 growth called for a 9,300-square-foot expansion, but the company amended it to about 23,000 square feet.<\/p>\n
Barnett said that expansion based on an older building presents opportunities as well as challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cFortunately, the function is close to the same as in the old, and we\u2019re going to do in the new,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing it all up to code, current codes, and then it\u2019s just, how you plan the expansion has to connect in certain places so it all flows properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
King said, \u201cHopefully, we anticipate being able to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2027. Keeping fingers crossed, we still have a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a longtime Arlington businessman, King said the city has plenty to help businesses grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommercially, being centrally located in the AFWD (Arlington, Fort Worth, Dallas) area as well as the international airport is a great advantage to all local, national and international markets,\u201d King said. \u201cWe have experienced great cooperation and help from the Arlington City Council, the Arlington Economic Development Corp., the planning and zoning department through Douglas Cooper and Nikki Moore with MMA Inc. and their expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with being business friendly, King said that Arlington is a good place to live.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, I have seen Arlington grow from being a \u2018bedroom community\u2019 to one of international recognition as a major destination for entertainment and sports venues as well as maintaining the \u2018family first\u2019 attitude that makes it a great place to raise a family and live comfortably and safely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
SBL has many other projects underway in addition to Circuit Systems, Barnett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do other projects besides health care, but health care is the majority,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cWe work at several different universities in Texas, and we\u2019ve got a new client \u2014 Carter BloodCare.\u201d<\/p>\n
SBL is working on Carter\u2019s corporate headquarters in Bedford.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just broke ground on a new expansion to their corporate headquarters on 121 in Bedford,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As a mid-size architecture firm, Barnett said that SBL does work all over the country.<\/p>\n
Barnett said that locally, the firm has worked for USMD, JPS in Fort Worth and in Arlington where the firm has done several clinics for them. SBL also is working on a surgery center and it\u2019s working on a clinic for Cook Children\u2019s in Burleson.<\/p>\n
Lance Murray is a freelance contributor covering business for the Arlington Report.<\/p>\n
At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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