Watkins Cabinet Company has closed at 18001 Sellman Road in Dickerson, after 73 years in business. Its 14,884-square-foot factory and warehouse facility has been put on the market for sale. This is a prime 1.43-acre property for an industrial/manufacturing use, as it is right on the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision tracks, part of a major freight and Amtrak route between Washington, D.C. and Chicago. That creates the opportunity for direct freight rail shipping across the nation, or to ports in Baltimore and Norfolk.
I have suggested for many years that Montgomery County sit down with CSX and try to create attractive industrial sites alongside the railroad. This could be for the manufacture of anything from furniture to pharmaceuticals to drones. In exchange for the new freight business, CSX might then cooperate for the additional track that has been sought for use by MARC commuter rail on this line. According to the online sale listing, the asking price for the Watkins Cabinet property is $2,000,000. If Montgomery County is serious about getting the third track, these are the types of opportunities they should be investigating in partnership with CSX. Even without a third track, moribund Montgomery County needs the business and high-wage job growth.
Wilbur Watkins founded Watkins Cabinet Company in 1952. It remained family-owned for all 73 years. You might have a Watkins cabinet, vanity, bar, or bookcase in your home right now, if you live in the Washington, D.C. region.
Photos courtesy Brian Jamison Real Estate
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