Grainger plots massive distribution center in northwest Houston 

1.2M sf project will be one company’s largest facilities

Grainger Plots Massive Distribution Center in Northwest Houston
Grainger CEO D.G. Macpherson (Getty, Grainger)

Grainger is targeting a northwest Houston suburb for a massive distribution center.

The Chicago-based industrial supply firm, headed by CEO D.G. Macpherson, wants to build a 1.2 million-square-foot complex, spanning 108 acres, in Hockley, the Houston Chronicle reported

Construction for the project, at Roberts Road and U.S. Route 290, is set to begin this spring. It’s expected to open in 2026 and employ about 400 people within the first year. The estimated construction cost has not been disclosed. 

The distribution center is poised to stock an extensive inventory of over 250,000 items, encompassing a wide range of products such as hand and power tools, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. 

The development site is in the Northwest Far submarket. This area, extending along U.S. Route 290 beyond the Grand Parkway, has historically played a minor role in Houston’s industrial real estate scene. 

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However, projections of substantial residential growth over the next decade, including the development of multiple master-planned communities in Hockley, are expected to transform the region into a prime destination for industrial distributors seeking proximity to burgeoning residential areas.

“The Northwest Far submarket is literally at the epicenter of Houston’s residential growth pattern,” Robert Kramp, vice president of research at Transwestern in Houston, told the outlet.

Grainger operates 45 Texas locations, including six in Houston. The Hockley project will be one the company’s largest U.S. facilities.

The Houston metro has several large-scale industrial projects in the pipeline. Northeast of the city, Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust is plotting a $25 million, 430,000-square-foot spec warehouse that’s slated for completion in 2025. Near Katy, Stream Realty Partners is embarking on the final phase of its 10-building Empire West industrial complex.

—Quinn Donoghue 

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