Quebec-based custom apparel company Printeez is planting its first American flag in Lakewood Ranch, locking in a 34,020-square-foot industrial unit that is expected to be humming with production by this summer. The location is set to pull triple duty as the company’s U.S. headquarters, manufacturing floor and fulfillment center for direct-to-garment, direct-to-film and embroidery orders. Local brokers say the move adds much-needed light industrial capacity to the Gates Creek Corporate Center and underscores rising demand for faster, U.S.-based fulfillment in the custom apparel world.
The space and the deal
Printeez has signed a lease for 34,020 square feet at 11125 Gatewood Drive, in Building 2 of Gates Creek Corporate Center, and plans to build out the shell with production lines, warehouse functions and office space. As reported by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, the unit sits in a newly completed industrial building with 32-foot clear heights and a 175-foot truck court designed for manufacturing and logistics users. Property listings describe Gates Creek as Class A industrial space with multiple loading docks and modern systems suited to distribution and light manufacturing, and the LoopNet listing shows the address as 11125 Gatewood Dr.
Why Lakewood Ranch
“We are incredibly excited to establish our U.S. manufacturing footprint in the Lakewood Ranch area,” Printeez CEO Shawn Sckoropad said, pointing to transportation infrastructure, a growing workforce and access to Southeast shipping corridors. Sckoropad told Tampa Bay Business & Wealth that the location will help the company control more steps in its supply chain and trim delivery times for American customers. Company materials indicate the Lakewood Ranch operation is expected to function as the primary U.S. fulfillment base once production ramps up this summer.
Tech and brokerage
Printeez has been shifting away from traditional screen printing toward on-demand digital production, investing in Kornit Atlas systems to speed up turnaround and lower order minimums, according to industry coverage. That digital-first approach makes a U.S. plant especially useful for cutting transit times and meeting tighter delivery expectations from domestic buyers. The landlord was represented by Ian Black Real Estate, with Cushman & Wakefield providing additional brokerage support, and the tenant did not report using outside broker representation, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, which also cites the company’s recent Kornit investments.
What it means locally
Developers and local business organizations say Lakewood Ranch has been steadily drawing industrial tenants as the master-planned community adds commercial space and improves connections to Interstate 75 and regional supply chains. Broker materials and property listings highlight a growing cluster of logistics and light manufacturing users around University Parkway and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, a mix that makes the area appealing for fulfillment operations. For nearby residents, Printeez’s arrival is expected to bring additional local jobs and a broader tax base, while giving regional apparel buyers faster access to custom products produced in the United States.
