What a blast: Unearthing Under Armour's Nashville distribution hub (Video)

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Kevin Wimpy

Whitfield Hamilton

Adam Sichko

Senior Reporter- Nashville Business Journal

Email  |  @NSHBIZSichko  |  LinkedIn

As the warning horn sounded, somehow audible over the roar of backhoes and dump trucks, it dawned on me that I'd parked awfully close to where construction workers were about to blast through 20 to 25 feet of limestone.

When the dust cleared, flames emerged from behind the mound of rock that the dynamite had just unearthed. And it was then that I thought maybe it wasn't such a good idea to visit Mt. Juliet, 20 miles east of Nashville, where workers are busy creating a $100 million distribution hub for the sports apparel company Under Armour.

As usual, Whitfield Hamilton was in control. He assured me that my trusty Honda Accord with the car seat in the back was fine (it was). He assured me the small fire was contained and controlled (it was; workers were burning dynamite sacks left over after the explosion).

Hamilton was integral to bringing Under Armor to the Nashville area, and not to other contending sites in Atlanta and Greenville, S.C.. Hamilton, southeast regional partner for Panattoni Development Co., gave me a site tour earlier this week.

Under Armour has said it will employ at least 1,500 people within five years, which would make it Wilson County's largest private employer.

Under Armour made its arrival official Oct. 2, and Panattoni hasn't wasted any time. After that 5:45 p.m. blast I witnessed, workers set up lights and revved up six drilling rigs.

Panattoni is committed to having the first half of Under Armour's hub — some 500,000 square feet — operational no later than April 1.

"You just keep finding ways to pull the rabbit out of the hat," Hamilton said.

Here are some other revealing numbers:

Adam covers commercial real estate and manufacturing.