2 parcels on State Street sold

A Columbus heating, ventilation, air conditioning company has become the property owner instead of a tenant at its State Street location.

Two parcels of land on State Street have been purchased by the parent company of South Central Co. Inc., which plans to make no changes in its business operations.

Berkheimer Properties LLC of Portage, which bought South Central Co. in 2006, has now also purchased the real estate from where South Central operates.

Berkheimer Properties bought land at 3055 State St. and 3095 State St. on Oct. 5 from JWJ Ventures LLC for $3.31 million, according to Bartholomew County real estate transaction records.

The 4.9-acre property at 3055 State St., which was once a Wickes Lumber company, was last appraised at $1,395,400 in March 2017. The 1.29-acre property at 3095 State St. is a commercial garage appraised at the same time for $342,100.

The purchase price was nearly twice the appraised values of the adjacent properties.

South Central’s offices are at 3055 State St., and the adjacent property is primarily used for warehouse purposes.

“The plan is to keep operating the business there that we own,” said Dean Cobble, executive vice president with GW Berkheimer.

Phil Arnold, president of South Central Co. Inc., said the company has about 20 employees at its Columbus location, with other branch locations in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Muncie, South Bend and Marion.

Arnold said GW Berkheimer had originally purchased the company from JWJ Ventures LLC in 2006, which had remained in control of the Columbus real estate until this month’s property transaction.