Peter Mork wore sunglasses and stood on freshly dumped dirt on almost 30 acres of land that will become an $80 million warehouse construction project near Alico Road and Interstate 75 in south Fort Myers.

Mork enjoyed being able to shovel that dirt, in ceremonial fashion, while wearing sunglasses amid sunshine that typically isn’t present during mid-April in his home of Minnesota, where Capital Partners set the stage for its foray into Southwest Florida.

Capital Partners has built about 15 million square feet of industrial space, spread throughout 150 buildings with about 630 tenants in Minnesota. The company hasn’t been shy about expanding into Southwest Florida either.

Oriole Logistics Center broke ground April 15 at 16671, 16681 and 16691 Oriole Road, with a ceremony on what will become two warehouses of 153,000 square feet and one measuring 136,000 square feet.

Arco Murray is managing construction with plans to finish two of the buildings within nine months and the third by the end of 2026.

Six months after Capital Partners’ other warehouse project opened, nearby Alico Logistics Center off Lee Road is about 75% leased, Mork said.

“It’s a good indication that Oriole Logistics is going to lease just as well,” Mork said. “Look at Florida. Look at Fort Myers. The migration. The growth. Everyone who’s coming down here needs the support of light industrial buildings.”

Companies specializing in air conditioning, cabinetry, appliances and plumbing are still needing space, said Bob Johnston, a broker with Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers.

Frito-Lay soon will be moving into its own warehouse distribution center. Across the street from Oriole Logistics Center, Amazon is finishing yet another distribution center, its third within the same square mile.

“We’re going to get more of the consumption, more of the manufacturers that are coming down because of our economic climate down here,” Johnston said. “Alico is the center of industrial in Lee County. There are plans for just about every parcel you see. They just haven’t been revealed yet. Stay tuned.”

Capital Partners paid $18.5 million for the 30 acres in March, property records show.

The profit margins in Southwest Florida are about the same as in Minnesota, Mork said, but the prices are not.

“The lease rates are twice as expensive as it is in Minnesota,” Mork said. “These warehouses will lease between $13 and $18 dollars a square foot. Where in Minnesota, brand new construction, similar build — we build the same thing in Minnesota — is going to lease between $9 and $11 dollars per square foot. It’s supply and demand, quite frankly.”

Capital Partners remains confident in the region, Mork said.

“We don’t just do this post-haste,” he said. “We study the market. We realize that there’s a vacancy rate for this product type. We realize there’s a demand for it.

“This isn’t our first rodeo. We’re highly confident this is going to lease up, which will lead to more opportunities in Southwest Florida.”