Finance & Capital Management

Roanoke, Va. -- Advance Auto Parts will acquire General Parts International, a privately held parts maker. The all-cash deal has an enterprise value of $2.04 billion.

Based in Raleigh, N.C., General Parts, which owns the Carquest brand, has 1,246 company operated stores in North America. It also operates 1,418 independently owned Carquest locations primarily in the United States and Canada.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. has closed on an $80 million non-recourse loan secured by The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta, a 75/25 joint venture with Horizon Group Properties. The 10-year loan bears a 4.9% fixed interest rate. Proceeds from the loan were used to repay a $53.2 million recourse construction loan. CBL www.cblproperties.com used its share of the remaining funds to reduce outstanding balances on the company’s unsecured credit facilities.

Seattle — Skanska USA Commercial Development Inc. has broken ground on 400 Fairview alongside its first major office tenant — Tommy Bahama.

Skanska is the first developer to start work in the South Lake Union area of Seattle since the City Council rezoned the one-time industrial hub for office and retail.

The 400 Fairview building will be a 13-story tower with 320,000 sq. ft. of office space and 17,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail. Skanska is targeting LEED Gold certification on the building.

Houston — The Mansour Group has completed the sale of an LA Fitness in Houston for $12 million. The 45,000-sq.-ft. facility is located in Houston’s Memorial Area, the wealthiest neighborhood in the city and the sixth wealthiest zip code in the state.

Mansour www.themansourgroup.com marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a national REIT. The buyer was another institutional REIT.

Covington, La. — Stirling Properties has opened a new office in downtown Mobile, Ala. The company’s first location in the state, the new office joins 11 others located in Louisiana and Mississippi, further strengthening Stirling’s presence in the Gulf South.

“This office will not only serve the surging market and growing economy of Mobile but also anchor the eastern side of the Interstate 10 corridor for Stirling Properties,” said Marty Mayer, Stirling’s president and CEO.

By Todd Maute, [email protected]

Seattle – Close to two million customers and employees have signed Starbucks Coffee Company’s “Come Together” petition that seeks to break the current deadlock in Washington. The petition urges the nation’s elected leaders to reopen the federal government, pay debts on time and pass a bi-partisan and comprehensive long-term budget deal by the end of the year has close to two million signatures.

Chicago – More retailers are hiring extra holiday staff this year. According to a new annual holiday hiring survey from CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive, 39% of retail hiring managers reported that they plan to hire seasonal workers this year, up from 36% last year and 29% in 2011.

San Francisco – Gap Inc. has reportedly signed a non-binding agreement for Australia-based Oroton Group to take control of its franchise operation in Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific islands. According to the Wall Street Journal, Oroton Group will start running Gap’s three franchise stores in Australia in November 2013 and purchase some inventory and store fixtures from current Gap franchisee Brand Republic Pty Ltd.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. revising its financial guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ending November 2, 2013. The company now expects to report a same-store sales increase in the low-single digits, compared to previously forecast mid-single digits, as well as a larger net loss than previously estimated.