Robot workers spur e-commerce provider in Industry City expansion

Retail tech hub Brooklyn just added more proof to the story. Crain’s New York recently covered Highline Commerce’s expansion to a 60,000-square-foot space spanning the entire second floor of Industry City’s Building 7 — doubling its footprint and extending its lease by five years. The move comes as the e-commerce fulfillment company deepens its use of humanoid robots from fellow Industry City tenant Ultra Robotics, which now handle 30% of Highline Commerce’s client orders.

What does Highline Commerce’s expansion say about Industry City’s retail tech hub?
Highline Commerce’s growth from 27,000 to 60,000 square feet reflects a broader pattern at Industry City: e-commerce and logistics companies scaling in place rather than relocating as they grow. Its use of humanoid robots built by campus neighbor Ultra Robotics — now processing 30% of order volume — shows how Industry City’s density lets tenants partner and automate in ways that are harder to replicate elsewhere.

Read the full feature from Crain’s New York below

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By Julian Nazar

July 17, 2026

One of the hardest things Richard Hurley has ever done in his life was single-handedly moving his e-commerce business from Chelsea to Industry City.

After outgrowing his space by The High Line, he rented the biggest U-Haul truck he could find and filled it with all of his company’s stuff on Memorial Day weekend in 2022. It took him five days and 26 roundtrips to complete the move. He drove 14 hours each day during that stretch.

“I have never been more stressed out in my life,” Hurley said. “I was just white-knuckling it.”

Now, more than four years later, he doesn’t have to worry about moving because he is growing his company’s footprint at Industry City.

Highline Commerce is set to occupy a 60,000-square-foot space that spans the entire second floor of Industry City’s Building 7. The company is expected to move into its new space in September. The company previously was in a 27,000-square-foot space on the same floor.

“Thank God we are not moving!,” Hurley said. “Having done the Chelsea move here, I would not want to do it again.”

Highline Commerce also extended its lease by five years.

“For a long time, the story of New York was that you came here to sell things, not to make them,” said Jeff Fein, senior vice president of Industry City, in a statement. ”That’s changing. The most physical, complex work companies do is happening inside the city itself. Manufacturing, fulfillment and robotics are becoming New York industries again. And not just for retail.”

Hurley started his e-commerce business in January 2020 by helping his wife ship and pack orders for her apparel brand Philips.

“The initial idea was that my wife needs this,” Hurley said. “There are probably other people who need this.”

He found a 200-square-foot space in Chelsea on Craigslist at 510 W. 27th St. that same month. Hurley attributes his growth in the ensuing two years to e-commerce taking off during Covid. Before moving to Industry City, Highline Commerce grew its footprint in Chelsea to 25,000 square feet across the third floor, basement and loading dock of the property.

Today Highline Commerce is the warehouse and fulfillment partner for more than 200 businesses such as fashion brands Public School New York and Debra Lee Collection, which was founded by the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television Deborah Lee, along with footwear brand Fulton. The company’s biggest client is electric flossing company Flaus, which does 30,000 orders per month.

“We are kind of unique in this third-party logistics supply chain space where we are only working with early-stage companies,” Hurley said. “That’s where we want to live because they need nationwide distribution to do this correctly.”

Highline Commerce has 35 employees in New York City. This doesn’t include the two humanoid robots, which were gifted to him by fellow Industry City tenant Ultra Robotics. These robots process 30% of the company’s client orders.

“It is slower than humans but cheaper than humans,” Hurley said. “That generally balances out. It is kind of like the tortoise and the hare because there are no breaks and it can work way longer hours.”

Hurley said the first humanoid robot went live in March 2025. He expects to have between four to six humanoid robots in New York City and for them to start taking over his company’s assembly line.

Looking ahead, Hurley believes his company will continue to grow its footprint at Industry City.

“The New York e-commerce ecosystem is on fire,” Hurley said. “We only exist to service those brands. The demand has never been higher, and we are just going to keep expanding to meet that demand.”

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Why retail tech companies choose Industry City

Highline Commerce’s path — outgrowing a smaller footprint, then scaling on the same campus rather than starting a stressful relocation all over again — is exactly the growth story Industry City is built for. E-commerce brands, 3PL operators, and robotics companies choose IC for heavy floor loads and oversized freight elevators built for real production, drive-in loading docks and abundant power for automation at scale, and a campus dense enough that a robotics partner is already down the hall. That’s what let Highline Commerce go from 27,000 to 60,000 square feet without ever loading a U-Haul again — and it’s why Brooklyn’s retail tech hub keeps growing from the inside out.

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