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frēijē HQ Construction Starts in Lawrence Trades District
May 21, 2021
![](https://www.cityoflawrence.org/sites/default/files/news/Freije_1.jpg)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 21, 2021
frēijē Engineered Solutions company held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, May 21th with employees, City of Lawrence officials and Browning’s development and construction team to celebrate one of the first new developments to be constructed in the Lawrence Trades District.
“The redevelopment of this site along the Pendleton Pike Corridor by a company like frēijē Engineered Solutions Company, who is committed to promoting education and job growth within the City of Lawrence, is the right fit,” said Mayor Steve Collier. “This Indiana company has over 50 years of experience meeting client and community needs, and we are excited to have such a positive, engaged corporate citizen join us as an anchor of the Trades District.”
Originally founded in 1959, frēijē design/build/service mechanical, refrigeration, and plumbing company will make a capital investment of more than six million dollars in the Lawrence Trades District. Its new corporate headquarters will feature office space, warehouse space and an in-house training center to teach mechanical, refrigeration, and plumbing skills.
“frēijē strives to promote a work culture and environment that attracts, retains and grows its people,” said Michael Webster, owner & CEO. “Having a physical environment in a centrally located, modern, functional building customized for the unique needs of our industry and frēijē’s cultural mission of building careers and community leaders, is what will propel our growth over the next 50 years.”
frēijē selected the Lawrence Trades District for their new facility as it offers excellent visibility, interstate access, and a supportive community with a myriad co-location benefits. Lawrence has helped grow technology companies through their technology focused initiatives, and frēijē believes the same will happen with trades focused companies through the Lawrence Trades District initiative.
“It was important to be centrally located to speed up our response time to our customers. We have well over 100 service vehicles that visit the office often for support and materials,” continued Webster. “Mayor Collier and his team were fantastic to work with during the entire process. I am convinced they want frēijē in their community, and frēijē wants to be in Lawrence and contribute to the community.”
Browning, an Indianapolis based real estate developer served as the development manager, assisting frēijē in securing the site through the City of Lawrence RFP process and negotiating the appropriate entitlements and public improvements. Browning will continue at the project as construction manager with targeted completion at the end of 2021.
“In selecting Browning as development manager, frēijē recognized the long-standing development relationship Browning has built over the last 15 years working with the City of Lawrence,” said Mark Susemichel, chief development officer at Browning. “We were brought in early to help frēijē navigate the City’s RFP process, finding mutually beneficial terms and are excited to help them bring the first new development in the Lawrence Trade District out of the ground.”
The City of Lawrence’s Redevelopment Commission goal is to attract investment and increase employment options in the skilled trades, making Lawrence a true hub for the trades in Central Indiana. frēijē will join Mission Mechanical, Midwest Remediation, and Amerifence as key anchors of the Trades District on land that was formerly a gas station, auto service garage and a Knight’s Inn.
“The entire Lawrence community is excited for this major step in making the Lawrence Trades District a reality. Lawrence has become a shining star for all of Central Indiana, and frēijē choosing to locate here on such a visible piece of ground is affirmation that Lawrence is the premiere place in the region to live, work, and play.” said Brad Klopfenstein, president of the Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.
About frēijē engineered solutions company:
frēijē Engineered Solutions Company is a national specialty engineering, service, and construction provider. Entrusted with complex challenges, frēijē leverages their depth of infrastructure services (commercial refrigeration, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical) across market sectors to deliver above client expectations. For over 50 years frēijē engineered solutions company has provided mission critical service and construction while building careers and community leaders. Learn more at www.fes-co.com.
About Lawrence Trade District:
The Trades District is a developing area within the City of Lawrence focused on creating a desirable, vibrant hub for the attraction and growth of construction trade industries. The Trades District is defined as the area bordered by I-465 to the west, Pendleton Pike to the south, 1 block east of Franklin Road to the east, and the CSX railroad to the north. The City of Lawrence is currently conducting an in-depth study of the area in order to create an actionable redevelopment plan. The City’s goal is to dramatically improve the area’s accessibility and traffic flow, upgrade its appearance, increase communication and collaboration between trades businesses, and create opportunities for workforce development, attraction, and training. The brand new frēijē HQ building marks the first of many major milestones the City hopes to set on its way to making the Trades District a major destination for all construction trades.
About Browning:
Browning strengthens communities by developing, building and managing game-changing commercial real estate projects. With a reputation for executing large transactions and complex projects, the firm’s diversified portfolio includes market-leading industrial, office, mixed-use, healthcare, life science and higher education projects. Established in 1977, Browning is based in Indianapolis. More information can be found at www.browninginvestments.com.
# # #
Media contacts: Joe Murphy, City of Lawrence, 317-542-4556, jmurphy@cityoflawrence.org
Erin Drake, Browning, 812-322-5891, edrake@browninginv.com
Julie Plake, Frēijē, jplake@fes-co.com, 317-490-8171
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Contact us
9001 East 59th StreetLawrence, IN 46216
Phone: (317) 545-6191
Staff Directory
Utilities: (317) 542-0511