Fire Protection Design Requirements: Hillman Group Distribution and Operations Center, Forest Park, Ohio

Meta Description: A review of fire protection design requirements for Hillman Group's 715,000-sq-ft distribution center under construction in Forest Park, Ohio, including NFPA 13 (2022).

Section 1: Project Overview

On June 17, 2026, Hillman Solutions Corp. (Nasdaq: HLMN) and Hillwood Investment Properties held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 715,000-square-foot distribution and operations center in Forest Park, Ohio. The project redevelops the former Forest Fair Mall site and will consolidate several of Hillman's Cincinnati-area operations into a single facility. Hillman — a distributor of hardware products including fasteners, builder's hardware, key duplication services, work gear, and paint sundries — will lease and fully occupy the building as the sole tenant.

Construction began in May 2026 with completion targeted for mid-2027. The site plan includes an expansion pad capable of accommodating an additional 162,000 square feet, bringing potential total square footage to approximately 877,000. Development partners include the City of Forest Park, the Butler County Land Bank, the Ohio Department of Development, JobsOhio, and REDI Cincinnati.

For fire protection designers, this type of occupancy — a large-format, single-tenant distribution center with a mixed commodity product line — presents a defined but consequential set of code questions that must be resolved before the permit set is assembled.

Section 2: Fire Protection Challenges Specific to This Project

Three factors drive the design complexity here.

High-piled storage. At 715,000 square feet, this facility will store product in racks that almost certainly exceed 12 feet in height — the threshold that triggers high-piled storage requirements under the 2025 Ohio Fire Code, which became effective November 20, 2025 and is based on the 2021 International Fire Code. Under NFPA 13 (2022 edition), the designer must determine commodity classification before selecting a suppression approach. Hillman's product mix spans multiple commodity classes: metal fasteners and rope are Class I or II commodities, but packaging, gloves, paint sundries, and aerosol-packaged products push certain storage areas into higher classifications.

Aerosol commodity classification. Hillman distributes aerosol-packaged items including key lubricants, paints, and cleaning sprays. Under NFPA 30B (the Code for the Manufacture and Storage of Aerosol Products) and NFPA 13 (2022), aerosols are classified as Level 1, 2, or 3 depending on flammability and water-based content. The storage configuration — whether aerosols are segregated in a dedicated area or co-mingled with general merchandise, and whether they are palletized or rack-stored — determines whether the designer can rely on ceiling-only ESFR protection or must incorporate in-rack sprinklers.

Future expansion and design continuity. The planned 162,000-square-foot expansion pad complicates base-building decisions. If the future phase is intended to connect to the main structure, the fire barrier between the two phases, the water supply calculations, and the fire alarm zone mapping must account for the full buildout from the start. Designing Phase 1 in isolation from the planned expansion and revising it later is a costly path that tends to surface problems during AHJ review.

Section 3: Required Systems and Applicable Codes

Forest Park falls under state-adopted codes enforced through the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office and the local AHJ. The 2025 Ohio Fire Code, effective November 20, 2025, governs fire protection requirements. Referenced NFPA standards are those listed in Ohio Admin. Code 1301:7-7-80. For this project, the applicable framework is:

The sprinkler design strategy — ESFR pendent heads versus in-rack systems, or a combination — is determined by NFPA 13 (2022) Chapter 20, which governs storage protection. The commodity classification matrix in Chapter 5 must be worked through against the actual product inventory before the hydraulic calculations can begin.

The fire alarm system under NFPA 72 (2022) for a building of this size requires zoned notification, smoke detection in offices and electrical rooms, duct detection on HVAC systems serving the warehouse, and coordination with the sprinkler waterflow and tamper devices. The 2022 edition of NFPA 72 includes updated requirements for notification appliance circuit design and documentation that affect the submittal package.

Section 4: What Designers Need to Think Through

Several questions need answers before drawings reach permit.

Confirmed commodity classification. The designer needs a detailed product list from Hillman, organized by storage zone, to assign NFPA 13 commodity classes across the floor plan. Where aerosols are present above NFPA 30B thresholds, separation from general storage is required, and the AHJ will want to see that documented in the submittal.

Ceiling height and ESFR applicability. ESFR systems are common in modern high-bay distribution centers, but their use under NFPA 13 (2022) depends on ceiling height, storage height clearance, and commodity class. If any storage zone pushes beyond ESFR coverage parameters, in-rack sprinklers become necessary. Identifying those zones early prevents redesigns after the rack layout is fixed.

Water supply adequacy. A 715,000-square-foot high-piled storage occupancy carries a substantial demand. The hydraulic design should be tested against the local water supply with a current flow test, and sizing decisions should factor in the planned expansion. Designing the underground and riser to Phase 1 demand alone, then upsizing later, is an avoidable problem.

Fire department access. Coordination with the Forest Park Fire Division on apparatus access lanes, hydrant placement, and FDC locations should happen in design development, not at permit submission. A facility of this footprint will require fire department access on multiple sides under the Ohio Fire Code 2025.

Section 5: How ProTech CDS Approaches Projects Like This

Distribution and fulfillment centers at this scale require the fire protection designer to resolve commodity classification, water supply adequacy, and code interpretation before the permit set is finalized. Those decisions have downstream consequences for sprinkler contractor selection, rack layout, and fire code compliance once the facility is occupied.

ProTech CDS provides fire protection design with NICET IV review and holds PE stamps in all 50 states. We work as a design-build partner or a white-label design resource for contractors and developers who need stamped drawings without adding overhead. If you have an industrial or distribution project in pre-construction or design development, reach out through lockin.protechcds.com.

Section 6: Call to Action

ProTech CDS designs fire protection systems for large industrial and distribution occupancies nationwide. Whether you need a full design package, a peer review, or PE-stamped drawings for an AHJ submittal, we can help. Visit lockin.protechcds.com to get started.