JAS freight buys Sandy Springs site

Sandy Springs will be the new home of JAS Forwarding Worldwide, currently headquartered in Atlanta.

The freight forwarding company announced Monday that it had purchased property in the north Fulton County city and that Griffin Construction Services would be the general contractor of the more than $20 million project. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of the year.

The Atlanta area has become a popular destination for logistics companies.

About 120,000 people are employed in the industry, which has been a focus of Mayor Shirley Franklin’s economic plan and a new initiative by Gov. Sonny Perdue to capitalize on Georgia’s position as the “gateway” to the East Coast.

Marco Rebuffi, JAS president and chief executive, said the investment is well worth the cost as the property “perfectly fits our location and sizes criteria.” He also said the state-of-the-art campus will be designed for the “well-being of our employees, visiting customers and vendors.”

The campus will include three two-story buildings, a walking and jogging trail and lodging for some business travelers.

“It will definitely be a custom job,” said Kirk Demetrops, president of the Griffin Co., which owns Griffin Construction Services. While the move is not expected to create new jobs, it does exhibit a long-term commitment in the area, Demetrops said.

The development will be located on Barfield Road, which also is home to Newell Rubbermaid and UPS.

—- Staff writer Rachel Tobin Ramos contributed to this article.