Jacksonville logistics firm AVI grows to 900,000 square feet, nearly doubles workforce

A Jacksonville logistics provider founded in 1957 has grown its warehousing footprint ninefold over the past three years, a stark illustration of how Northeast Florida's booming port and distribution activity is reshaping the local industrial real-estate landscape.

AVI, formerly known as Air Van, has expanded from 100,000 square feet of warehouse space to almost 900,000 square feet while growing its workforce from 53 to 98 employees, the company announced this week. The expansion reflects a strategic pivot from its traditional final-mile delivery focus to a full-service logistics operation offering warehousing, order fulfillment, shipping, packaging, and kitting services.

What's happening

AVI's transformation began three years ago when Ike Sherlock joined the company at the invitation of his longtime mentor, who owned the business. Sherlock left what he described as a "cushy corner office" to help guide the company's expansion.

The company, which originally built its business around final-mile delivery for retailers such as Havertys and Best Buy, now provides integrated supply-chain services to domestic and international freight forwarders and shippers. Industries served include retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and food products.

Final-mile delivery, once AVI's primary focus, now represents approximately 25% to 30% of the company's business, Sherlock told JAXPORT. The shift means the company can now handle multiple steps in a customer's supply chain—coordinating pickup at JAXPORT, warehouse storage, and delivery to final destinations—under one roof.

The growth earned AVI recognition on the Jacksonville Business Journal's Fast 50 list for two consecutive years, most recently ranking No. 10. The Fast 50 measures revenue growth among North Florida private companies.

Impact on Jacksonville's industrial real estate market

AVI's nearly 900,000-square-foot footprint represents significant absorption in Duval County's industrial warehouse market. The company's expansion comes as logistics and distribution operations increasingly concentrate near JAXPORT and along the I-95 and I-295 corridors, where access to port facilities and interstate highways makes Jacksonville competitive for companies serving the Southeast.

Warehouse space of this scale typically involves either purpose-built facilities or the consolidation of multiple existing buildings. In Northeast Florida's logistics sector, facilities serving port cargo and e-commerce fulfillment have driven industrial vacancy rates down and rents up in recent years, particularly in submarkets with direct port access or proximity to major interchanges.

The company's client base—freight forwarders and shippers moving goods through JAXPORT—underscores the symbiotic relationship between the seaport's cargo growth and demand for landside warehousing and distribution capacity. As JAXPORT has grown container volumes and attracted new shipping services, logistics providers have followed, seeking space to stage, store, and prepare goods for distribution across Florida and the broader Southeast.

For property owners and developers, AVI's trajectory signals continued demand for Class A warehouse space with modern clear heights, loading-dock configurations suitable for cross-docking and fulfillment operations, and proximity to port gates. The company's nine-fold spatial growth in three years is the type of user expansion that drives speculative industrial development and land acquisition in logistics-oriented corridors.

Jobs and workforce implications

The company's headcount increase from 53 to 98 employees represents an 85% workforce expansion in three years. Logistics jobs in Northeast Florida typically include warehouse associates, forklift operators, shipping and receiving clerks, order pickers, packers, and supervisory roles, alongside administrative and sales staff.

Sherlock emphasized that AVI's growth strategy began with culture and communication. "Before we could talk about processes and procedures, we wanted employees to know that we wanted a culture where their voices were heard and they could contribute," he said in the announcement.

Warehousing and logistics employment tends to offer a mix of hourly positions—many at or above minimum wage, with overtime opportunities during peak seasons—and salaried management roles. In a competitive labor market, companies that can retain workers and build institutional knowledge often gain operational advantages in accuracy, safety, and customer service.

The addition of specialized services such as kitting—assembling individual products into ready-to-ship packages for major retailers—and custom packaging requires workers with attention to detail and the ability to follow specific client specifications. These value-added services typically command higher fees than basic storage or transportation, potentially supporting better wage structures.

What it means for JAXPORT and the regional supply chain

AVI's expansion highlights the landside infrastructure that makes seaport growth viable. JAXPORT's ability to attract cargo depends not only on berths, cranes, and marine terminals but also on the availability of nearby logistics providers who can move containers off the terminal quickly, store goods, and prepare them for final delivery.

"Many of our clients import and export through JAXPORT," Sherlock said. The company's role as a single-source provider—handling port pickup, warehousing, kitting, and delivery—reduces complexity for shippers and can shorten dwell times at the port itself, freeing up terminal capacity for additional cargo.

For JAXPORT, companies like AVI are critical links in the supply chain. When importers and exporters can rely on local warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution services, the port becomes more attractive compared to competitors in Savannah, Charleston, or South Florida. Sherlock noted that JAXPORT team members "have helped us deliver on our vision," pointing to collaborative relationships between the port authority and its logistics ecosystem.

This dynamic is especially important as JAXPORT continues to invest in container-terminal improvements, including deeper berths to handle larger ships and expanded on-terminal rail capacity. Those infrastructure projects generate returns only if cargo keeps flowing—and that flow depends on logistics providers with the space and capabilities to handle it once it clears customs.

The broader trend: logistics sector growth in Northeast Florida

AVI's trajectory reflects a broader pattern across Duval, Clay, and Nassau counties, where logistics and distribution have become among the fastest-growing sectors of the regional economy. E-commerce fulfillment, third-party logistics providers, and port-dependent cargo handlers have all expanded footprints in recent years, drawn by the region's transportation infrastructure and lower costs compared to South Florida or coastal Georgia.

Cecil Commerce Center on Jacksonville's Westside, the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field, has emerged as a major logistics hub with millions of square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Amazon, Chewy, and other large fulfillment operators have built or leased facilities there, and smaller third-party logistics companies have followed.

The First Coast Expressway loop through Clay County has similarly spurred industrial development, particularly near interchanges with Blanding Boulevard and U. S. 17, where land costs remain lower than in core Duval locations but access to I-295 and I-10 is straightforward.

AVI's focus on value-added services—kitting, custom packaging, order fulfillment—also reflects a competitive shift in the logistics sector. As e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales grow, retailers and manufacturers increasingly seek partners who can handle not just storage and trucking but also the final steps of product preparation and order assembly.

What happens next

Sherlock's comment—"I feel like we're just getting started"—suggests the company may pursue additional expansion, either in square footage, service lines, or geographic reach. Logistics companies that achieve scale and diversification often reinvest in technology such as warehouse management systems, automated picking and packing equipment, or expanded fleet capacity.

For Jacksonville, the key question is whether the supply of industrial land and modern warehouse space can keep pace with demand from companies like AVI. Industrial developers and landlords will be watching absorption rates, rental trends, and the pipeline of new speculative construction to gauge how much additional capacity the market can support.

Companies moving goods through JAXPORT or distributing across the Southeast from Jacksonville will continue to drive demand for logistics real estate, particularly as the port authority's capital projects come online and container volumes grow. How the region manages that demand—through zoning, infrastructure investment, and workforce development—will shape the competitiveness of the local supply chain for years to come.

AVI's nearly 70-year history and rapid recent growth offer a snapshot of how legacy Jacksonville businesses are adapting to the region's transformation into a logistics and distribution powerhouse, one that increasingly rivals larger coastal markets in the services it can offer to importers, exporters, and national retailers.