McDonald Development

What McDonald Development does

McDonald Development Company is a privately held real estate development firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with regional offices in Orlando, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1993 (with a related founding date of 1988 noted in firmographic data), the company specializes in master-planned industrial and distribution parks across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, having developed more than 50 million square feet of real estate over 30+ years with a current portfolio market value of $3 billion. Its 15-park portfolio spans Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with strategic proximity to major container terminals (Port of Savannah, Port of Virginia) and interstate corridors; flagship assets include WestLake (400 acres, Atlanta), Southmeadow (404 acres, Atlanta), SouthPark (352 acres, Clayton County, GA), Westport Commerce Park (249 acres, Suffolk, VA) and Virginia Commerce Center (Suffolk, VA).

The company develops, leases, and manages Class A industrial, warehouse, and distribution properties for its own account, for investment partners, and for third-party clients. Distribution channels are direct: build-to-suit development for specific tenant requirements, sale of developed properties to corporate end-users and investment partners, and leasing of existing inventory. Active development plus a 1,200-acre land bank and 4 million+ square feet of existing Class A industrial buildings under management constitute the operational backbone. Tenant logos in public materials include FedEx, Honda, John Deere, Lowe's, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Delta, Campbell's, Clorox, and McMaster-Carr, among others, indicating Fortune 500 and Global 500 occupancy.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of private industrial real estate developers: one-time gains on property sales, recurring rental income on retained assets, and asset management fees for partnership/JV and third-party-owned properties. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; commercial transactions are negotiated. Recent completions (Forsyth Commerce Center Phase I, December 2023; MSI build-to-suit at Westport Commerce Park, November 2024) demonstrate an ongoing development cadence.

Name

McDonald Development

Legal name

McDonald Development Company

Website

https://mcdco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McDonald Development Company is a privately held Atlanta-based real estate developer that builds, leases, and manages master-planned industrial and distribution parks across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic US, serving Fortune 500 tenants across 15 parks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Land Subdivision (237210)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

Keywords

• Industrial real estate development
• Master-planned business parks
• Build-to-suit facilities
• Warehouse distribution space
• Commercial property leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development and Sales: McDonald develops, leases, and manages properties for its own account, investment partners, and third-party clients. Revenue is generated through property sales, leasing, and asset management fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

McDonald Development is a real estate development firm that identifies strategic sites in premier Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic US markets, assembles large tracts of land, and develops master-planned business and industrial parks. The company develops, leases, and manages Class A industrial and distribution properties for its own account, for investment partners, and for third-party clients, offering build-to-suit, for-sale, and for-lease options to enterprise tenants. The portfolio spans more than 50 million square feet of developed real estate with a $3 billion market value across 15 parks in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Product overview

McDonald Development is a real estate development company specializing in master-planned business and industrial parks across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company develops, leases, and manages properties for its own account, investment partners, and third-party clients. The portfolio consists of distinct master-planned parks and industrial properties including WestLake (400-acre Atlanta development), Southmeadow (404-acre Atlanta park), SouthPark (352-acre Clayton County development), Westport Commerce Park (249-acre Virginia industrial park), Virginia Commerce Center, and Lee Vista Business Center (80-acre Orlando park), among others. The company has developed more than 50 million square feet of real estate with a current market value of $3 billion, maintaining over 4 million existing square feet of Class A industrial buildings and 1,200 acres of land available for future development in 15 parks across the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Panattoni Development Company: Panattoni is one of the largest privately held industrial real estate developers in the US, building master-planned and build-to-suit distribution parks across the Southeast and Sun Belt. Directly comparable to McDonald in target product, customer segment, and go-to-market approach.
• Hillwood: Hillwood, the Perot-family development firm, develops master-planned industrial and distribution parks with a strong Southeast and Sun Belt footprint. Closely aligned with McDonald in build-to-suit focus, large-park scale, and Fortune 500 tenant relationships.
• EastGroup Properties: EastGroup is a public REIT focused exclusively on Class A industrial distribution properties in Sun Belt markets (Florida, Texas, Georgia, Carolinas). Operates the same product, customer type, and geography that McDonald targets, though as a perpetual REIT vehicle.
• Sealy & Company: Sealy & Company is a private industrial real estate investment and development firm focused on Sun Belt distribution and manufacturing facilities. Comparable to McDonald in build-to-suit development, capital partner relationships, and tenant-mix profile.
• Crow Holdings Industrial: Crow Holdings Industrial develops and acquires Class A logistics facilities across major US distribution markets including the Southeast. Overlaps with McDonald in master-planned park development, institutional capital partner relationships, and Fortune 500 tenant focus.
• Terreno Realty Corporation: Terreno Realty is a public REIT that owns and develops industrial properties in six major US coastal markets including Atlanta, Charlotte, and the Carolinas. Comparable to McDonald in targeting infill Class A industrial flex and distribution assets in growth markets.
• LBA Realty: LBA Realty is a privately held full-service real estate investment and development firm specializing in industrial properties across key US logistics markets. Comparable to McDonald in industrial focus, institutional joint venture partnerships, and Sun Belt exposure.
• CRG (Clayco Real Estate): CRG is the real estate development arm of Clayco and develops Class A industrial distribution parks across the US with strong presence in the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable to McDonald in build-to-suit industrial development, master-planning approach, and institutional partner relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Prologis: Prologis is the world's largest industrial REIT and most prominent institutional incumbent in McDonald's addressable market. While not a single-park developer in the same way as McDonald, Prologis is the dominant institutional owner/developer against whom McDonald competes for tenants, capital, and land.
• Duke Realty (Prologis Industrial): Duke Realty, formerly one of the largest US industrial REITs before being acquired by Prologis, historically operated a Southeast industrial portfolio highly comparable to McDonald's geography and tenant profile. Now part of Prologis, but the legacy asset footprint remains a direct competitive benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcdonald-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McDonald Development