FRIDAY
Basch Report: Split decision in CoreLogic proxy fight
November 27, 2020
PAGE 3
jaxdailyrecord.com • 35 cents
Public
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
legal notices begin on page 1B
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ISSUE JACKSONVILLE
Daily Record FINDING ONLINE
CHRISTIAN FLOWERS
OPPORTUNITY
Daily Record I Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
The entrepreneur’s plans include a new e-commerce warehouse in Southside. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
t was a low-tech start to high-tech businesses. Christian Flowers bought Jacksonville-based Priority Transportation Group Inc. in 1991 because he saw an ad in the newspaper that it was for sale. Then at The Suddath Companies, Flowers knew he wanted eventually to own his own venture. He was in his early 30s. “I am an entrepreneur at heart,” he said. “We could see the marketplace for logistics.” He and a cousin, Steve Lukenbach,
own Priority 50-50, and Lukenbach ran it while Flowers remained at Jacksonvillebased Suddath, a moving company. Flowers left Suddath full-time in 2001, in his early 40s, to run Priority. After the 2007-09 recession’s impact on the company, he decided to reinvent the business. “I was sitting in a chair on a Sunday night and a little voice said, ‘Look in the back of the newspaper again,’” Flowers said. It was 2010; he was in his early 50s. With the internet soaking up most of the classified listings by then, Flowers couldn’t find the section and put the paper aside. “The voice came back, ‘Don’t give up,’” he said. He looked again, there it was under “business opportunities.” “Fulfillment company, great add-on.” He thought it had a great name, shipSEE FLOWERS, PAGE 6
Edgewood Commerce Center planned in Northwest Jacksonville The project will comprise 295,000 square feet of space. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
A group led by Easton, Sanderson and Co. President Sam Easton intends to develop the Edgewood Commerce Center in Northwest Jacksonville at North Edgewood Avenue and West 12th Street. Easton said Nov. 20 the group, Ocean
JACKSONVILLE
Swim LLC, paid $1.8 million for the 21 acres and will develop 295,000 square feet of space. Easton said he plans to build gradelevel metal warehouses with 2,500- and 5,000-square-foot units. The first phase comprises 60,000 square feet. Monthly rental rates are planned at $1,700 for the smaller units and $2,600 for the larger ones. Easton, Sanderson, in business since SEE EDGEWOOD, PAGE 5
MORE INSIDE ■ Two of Amazon.com’s 10 identified Jacksonville facilities making development moves. Page 4 ■ Benderson Development Co. plans to start work on two buildings totaling 2 million square feet. Page 5 Special to the Daily Record
Christian Flowers built his online fulfillment business after responding to a newspaper classified ad. “Luck is a big part of it. If you never work hard, you won’t be lucky. If you work hard, you might get lucky.” he says.
THE MARBUT REPORT
Essay contest winners honored by Bench and Bar Two city attorneys board certified. PAGE 8 VOLUME 108, NO. 9 • TWO SECTIONS