Pasha Plans 700-Acre Facility

Plans for a 700-acre distribution complex at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville will be announced today by Pasha Group, a Corte Madera-based transportation company.

The facility at the former George Air Force base will handle storage, maintenance and repair of containers, chassis and other transport equipment, such as rail freight cars or locomotives.

Pasha also plans to build warehousing and processing facilities for foreign auto manufacturers. New vehicles will be prepared there for dealers across the United States.

The new complex will free up space at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, where as much as 40% of the land is now occupied by container and automotive storage, a Pasha spokesman said. The complex will be linked to the ports by rail through a connection with the recently completed Alameda Corridor.

The first containers are expected to relocate in the fall. Pasha plans to employ 200 people at the complex, which will be built over several years at a cost of $50 million.

Southern California Logistics Airport is a 5,000-acre business complex that includes manufacturing, industrial and office facilities along with an international airport. It has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone.

BAE Systems, a British aerospace and defense contractor, has an aircraft maintenance and modification operation at the former air base. Other businesses include Pratt & Whitney, Boeing Capital, Goodyear and M&M;/Mars Corp.