Pharmaceutical distributors weighing Moore want a building that holds temperature, protects a controlled inventory and survives the weather this city is known for, and we build to that triple requirement. A regional drug distribution center is a secure, climate-managed warehouse with tight access control, backup power and a dock system that keeps product out of the sun and rain. Our job is to deliver the shell, the floor, the envelope and the utility backbone that make those systems work.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced on June 24, 2026 that McKesson selected the North Moore Industrial Park for a 330,000-square-foot regional pharmaceutical distribution facility, with $179 million in total capital investment and more than 200 direct jobs. We did not build that facility and we do not claim any connection to it. It does tell any buyer something useful: this city is now on the map for serious regulated distribution, and the supplier and support space around such a hub is a real opportunity.
The city sits on I-35, and the Southwest 34th Street bridge over the interstate, started in August 2018 and opened on November 21, 2019, gave the south side a second crossing. Trucks serving Moore from Norman to the south or from the Oklahoma City side to the north can reach it quickly.
Building for wind in a city that has learned the lesson
Moore has been struck by violent tornadoes more than once. The National Weather Service rated the May 3, 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado F5, with a 38-mile path and 36 direct fatalities recorded, and the May 20, 2013 Newcastle-Moore tornado EF-5, with a path of about 14 miles and 24 lives lost. A third tornado, an F4 on May 8, 2003, began in Moore and crossed I-35 at 12th Street. Owners and workers here do not treat tornado planning as an abstraction.
We treat it with the same seriousness. In 2014 the Moore City Council approved tornado-inspired residential building codes requiring new homes to withstand winds up to 135 miles per hour. Those rules apply to houses, not warehouses, so they do not govern your permit. They do show the standard that the community expects, and we use it as a conversation starter when we talk wind loads and refuge areas with commercial owners.
Why supplier space follows the hub
A large regional distribution facility pulls other users in behind it: trucking companies that need a nearby yard, packaging suppliers, returns processors, temperature-monitoring services and third-party logistics operators handling overflow. Those users typically want 20,000 to 100,000 square feet with a few docks, some office space and secure fencing, not a second 330,000-square-foot box.
We build that second layer. If you are a 3PL operator or a service provider looking at the North Moore area, we can scope a building that fits your trailer count and your staffing, and phase the site so you can add yard and dock doors as the business grows.
Controlled-inventory buildings
For regulated or high-value inventory, we plan access control, camera mounting, secure dock design and a cage or vault room into the building from the start. Retrofitting those after the walls are up costs more and looks worse. We lay conduit and blocking for them in the slab and walls and leave the final selection to your security consultant.
Where goods need cooling or climate control, we coordinate with the mechanical designer on insulated panels, vapor barriers, vestibules and dock seals. Our cold storage warehouse experience covers the envelope details that keep conditioned air in and moisture out, which matters in Oklahoma's humid summers.
Detailing connections that matter
We start with the load path. Wind pressure acts on the wall, the roof deck and the overhead doors, and every connection from panel to roof to foundation has to carry it. On a tilt-wall warehouse that means checking the panel-to-footing dowels, the roof-to-panel embeds and the girder seats against the engineer's calculations on site, not only on paper.
Overhead doors are the weakest opening in most distribution buildings, so we specify wind-rated doors and track assemblies to the design pressures. Where owners want a protected refuge area, we locate it in a part of the building with short walls and minimal roof span, and we review it with your insurer and local officials.
Moore codes and permits
Moore administers its own permits, and the state minimum codes come from the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission. The state sets minimum codes through the Uniform Building Code Commission, and cities adopt and enforce their own editions and amendments. We confirm which edition applies before submitting drawings and pull permits for civil, building, electrical and mechanical scopes in the right order.
Public bidding rules matter only if you are a public buyer. A school district or city that builds a maintenance warehouse goes through the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974, which requires sealed bids on contracts over $100,000 with 5% bid security. Private developers have more flexibility and can negotiate a contract directly.
Costs that vary by use
A pharmaceutical or controlled-inventory building carries more cost than a dry-goods warehouse, and the main differences are the envelope insulation, the electrical backup, the security systems and the floors. Slab flatness is less critical than for high-bay narrow-aisle racking, but floor sealers and joint treatment matter for cleanliness.
We price those items separately so you see what each choice adds. A spec warehouse shell with room to add climate control later is often a better first step for a developer than a fully conditioned building without a tenant.
Plan your Moore building with us
Tell us what you will store, how it must be kept and when you need to open. We will respond with a building concept and a permit path for Moore. If you are choosing between Moore and the area around Will Rogers and Tinker, we can compare the two. Developers often start with a developer and REIT program, so bring one if you have it.
Common Questions
Does the city of Moore require tornado-resistant commercial buildings?
The 2014 Moore city action targeted new homes, requiring them to withstand winds up to 135 miles per hour. Commercial buildings follow the building code edition the city has adopted. We design to the engineer's wind loads and are open about the difference between code minimums and a higher-resilience design the owner may choose to pay for.
What size is a support building near a large distribution hub?
Support users usually take 20,000 to 100,000 square feet, with a handful of docks, office space and fenced yard. We design the shell so the dock line and the yard can grow when the first tenant outgrows it.
Can you build a pharma-ready warehouse?
We build the shell, slab, envelope, dock system and utility rough-in. Regulated storage also needs validated climate control, security and quality systems that your consultants and equipment vendors supply. We coordinate with them so the structure and utilities are ready.
How does the I-35 bridge work affect access?
The Southwest 34th Street bridge over I-35 opened in November 2019 after construction that began in August 2018, and it has been in service for years. Trucks should plan the entrance location with the turn path in mind, and we look at the actual route during site review.