The land is inside Tejon Ranch Co.'s Tejon Industrial Complex,just north of Los Angeles County at the intersection of Interstate5 and US 99. Though neither IKEA or Tejon Ranch officials woulddisclose the purchase price, they said construction of theproject—one of the largest warehouse and distribution facilities inCalifornia history—should begin within a matter of weeks. About 300new employees will be needed to staff the development after itopens.

The purchase ends a lengthy site-selection process in which IKEAsearched for parcels as far north as Sacramento and as far south asthe Inland Empire, says Eric Powers of NAI Capital Commercial'sEncino office.

Powers and a colleague, Tony Beatty of NAI BT Commercial RealEstate in Oakland, represented IKEA in the land purchase. The LosAngeles office of Colliers Seeley represented Tejon Ranch, whichrecently announced plans to phase out its 150-year-old cattleoperations to focus on developing its massive land holdings.