How Growvana unified e-commerce operations for continued growth

Client Objectives

As a fast-growing eCommerce business, Growvana had outgrown the operating model created by two separate warehouse locations. The company needed one 120,000-square-foot distribution facility that could simplify operations, support sourcing and distribution, and accommodate the specialized requirements of its products.

Cresa helped Growvana evaluate the market, build leverage among competing ownership groups and structure a transition that aligned occupancy, rent and capital investment with the company’s operational needs.

The challenge

Growvana was operating from two warehouse locations, creating unnecessary complexity and overhead as the business grew. Consolidating into a single facility offered a clearer path forward, but the requirements made the search unusually specific.

The new building needed fire suppression infrastructure capable of supporting aerosol product storage, significantly narrowing the available pool. Growvana also wanted a facility sized for current needs without taking on an unnecessarily long lease commitment. And because the company was relocating from existing space, the timing had to be managed precisely to avoid a period of overlapping rent obligations.

“As our e-commerce business continued to grow, we knew it was time to bring our warehouse operations together under one roof,” said Rohan Thambrahalli, Founder of Growvana. “We needed a facility that could support our distribution needs today, give us room to scale and meet the specific requirements of our products. Cresa helped us move quickly while keeping the process flexible and practical.”

Growvana engaged Cresa to identify a facility that could meet those requirements while minimizing the company’s upfront capital outlay.

The process

Cresa recognized early that Growvana’s existing landlords did not have the capacity to accommodate the company’s growth trajectory within the current buildings. Rather than waiting for a renewal conversation, the team proactively initiated a market search.

The team toured the market broadly, developed a qualified shortlist and then ran a competitive bid process among ownership groups. That approach created leverage not only around economics, but also around the facility improvements required to make the transaction work.

Because aerosol storage was a critical requirement, Cresa engaged directly with Growvana’s fire protection consultants early in the process. Each shortlisted property’s existing suppression system was evaluated against the technical requirements before the search advanced, reducing the risk of a late-stage disqualification.

Cresa also structured a phased occupancy and rent schedule. Growvana could take the full square footage on day one for operational continuity, with a phased rent ramp to align cash outlay with actual utilization. At the same time, the lease structure preserved the flexibility Growvana needed without forcing the company into a long-term commitment that exceeded its current requirements.

The solution

Growvana secured a single distribution facility that brought its operations together under one roof and supported the company’s next phase of growth.

The transaction included a multi-year term at a rate below prevailing market comparables, a significant free-rent period and a first-year rent ramp. Together, those terms eased the transition into the new facility and helped avoid the cost and disruption of overlapping rent obligations.

The deal also shifted the facility-related capital burden to the landlord. Growvana received a landlord-funded tenant improvement allowance for the buildout, along with substantial landlord-funded fire suppression upgrades that directly enabled aerosol product storage at no capital cost to the tenant.