🔒East Windsor warehouse offered for sale at $32M, or lease, as tenant contemplates departure

A little more than three years after bottled water giant BlueTriton Brands occupied a 279,256-square-foot distribution warehouse in East Windsor, the property has been listed for lease, or sale, with a $32 million asking price. BlueTriton continues to occupy the building at 18 Craftsman Road under a lease that expires in early 2027. The water company maintains a right to extend the lease. Christopher Metcalfe, a senior vice president with CBRE and part of the team marketing the property, said he understands BlueTriton could relocate its East Windsor operation, although the company does retain the option to renew its lease. A company spokesperson says a final decision about a move has not been made. The property presents a unique opportunity for companies looking to own and occupy a large building in a market that has seen heavy interest from investors. “We are primarily marketing it to users,” Metcalfe said. “Users for a long time have been interested in owning their own buildings. It’s been challenging because there has been so much investor interest in this market.” The warehouse sits on roughly 40 acres near Route 5 and Interstate 91, providing quick access to Interstate 84 and the broader Northeast market. It includes 8 acres of outdoor storage, most with a concrete pad. The site's size also provides room for future expansion, Metcalfe said. An affiliate of New York-based Wharton Equity Partners paid $12.3 million for the 1979-vintage warehouse and associated acreage in 2021. At the time, Wharton announced plans for a major renovation project intended to position the property as a modern last-mile distribution facility. The following year, the company announced a lease with BlueTriton, formerly known as Nestlé Waters North America. In early 2023, the property sold for $24.17 million to three limited liability companies sharing the same Baltimore address and affiliated with Selko Real Estate Ventures. “Wharton put a lot of CapEx into the property, did a tenant lease with BlueTriton, and then sold the property on the investment market,” Metcalfe said. In November 2024, BlueTriton Brands Inc. and Primo Water Corp. announced a merger creating Primo Brands. The combined company maintains headquarters in Stamford and Tampa, Florida, and includes brands such as Poland Spring, Pure Life, Saratoga and Mountain Valley. At the time, the company employed more than 11,000 people and operated more than 50 production facilities and 200 depots across North America. Today, the company claims more than 12,000 employees. According to an earlier announcement of the pending merger, the combination was expected to generate approximately $200 million in operating savings within three years of closing. In an email response Friday afternoon, a Primo Brands spokesperson said the company remains committed to serving the market and, while it continually evaluates options, there have been "no definitive plans to relocate at this time."