Charleston, SC Economic Development

Defense contractor picks permanent location

May 7, 2008
Charleston Regional Business Journal
By Dan McCue
Systems Applications and Solutions LLC, a provider of security systems used by defense contractors, has a permanent home in Hanahan.

The company purchased a 7,700-square-foot office building for an undisclosed amount. With the purchase of the building and the 1.14-acre lot on which it sits, SAS makes the transition from Lowcountry renter to full-blown property owner.

Paul Cone, owner and president of the SAS, said he’d been trying to find a permanent home for his 10-year-old company for the last four to five years, but found the perfect site difficult to come by.

“Location is very important to my business, and this location is prime not only because of its proximity to other defense contractors, but also because of its proximity to the Port of Charleston,” he said.

The company, which provides services to contractors affiliated with SPAWAR and other military facilities in the area, employs 80 and is expected to move into the new location July 1.

Mary L. Gannon, the broker at Kennerty, Ratner & Tezza who represented both SAS and property seller Manuel Cohen, said the deal indicates that there’s been no downturn in defense contractors’ interest in “second-generation space” in the area.

“Given the nature of their work, which involves a competitive bid process, defense contractors are tremendously budget conscious and are looking for sites that won’t require a lot of additional investment before they can move in,” Gannon said.

In this case, the building SAS purchased at 1019 Bankton Drive had previously been a local office for AT&T and came partially furnished with existing telephone and Internet connectivity.

Cone said he intends to occupy the entire building but may eventually build an addition on the site to accommodate other defense contractors. 		related information