Category: Retail

“Supply and demand has never been in better balance,” Kris Miller told the more than 100 guests at Ackerman & Co. 11th Investor Conference, recently held in Atlanta.

He added that the ongoing strong demand for product – and lack of overbuilding in sectors such as office during this cycle – puts Atlanta in position to be a leading market for investors in 2018 and beyond.

The company’s annual Investor Conference is an opportunity for Ackerman & Co. to provide perspective on trends in commercial real estate and for guests to network with leading owners, operators, investors and capital sources.

Conference themes are sometimes broad in scope but this year the focus was squarely on the Atlanta market as Kris Miller addressed the question:  Atlanta – the Next Gateway Market?

Atlanta lacks the land constraints, barriers to entry or “24/7” attributes of established gateway cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. Yet, Miller added, Atlanta’s diversified economy, success at attracting corporate relocations and growth as an entertainment hub are bringing it closer to the status of a gateway market.

Together with his partner F. Keene Miller (President, Brokerage) and Leo Wiener (President, Retail), Brett Buckner (SVP, Industrial), John Willig (Principal) and Evan Ziegler (SVP, Investment), the speakers offered insights into the investment climate in the office, industrial, retail and medical office sectors.

Some highlights from this year’s conference:

• Economic drivers including the 2017 tax plan and the easing of numerous regulations are likely to free up money for capital investment and boost demand for CRE space.
• The continued strong performance of the Atlanta industrial sector – which posted 19.9 million square feet of absorption in 2017 and is experiencing historically low vacancy levels – puts Atlanta’s growth potential ahead of the top 4 industrial markets (New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas).
• Fundamentals weakened slightly in the office sector in 2017, but there are still excellent investment opportunities for the right property in the right location across Atlanta’s office submarkets.
• Although the retail sector is out of favor amid store closings, “brick and mortar is not dead” and good retail product is available but at high cap rates.
• Strong demographics continue to fuel investment in medical office space, as does the heightened demand for “convenience” medical space located near retail.

Kris and the team enjoyed hosting the conference and look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

Did you know that 51% of all restaurants in metro Atlanta’s Gwinnett County are international? The county is a culinary hotspot for foodies seeking everything from Korean barbeque to Indian street food.

The qualities that have produced this vibrant food scene – ethnic diversity, strong population growth, a pro-business climate – also have contributed to Gwinnett County’s emergence as one of metro Atlanta’s most important business hubs.

As the chair of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID) board of directors, Ackerman & Co.’s Leo Wiener has first-hand experience working on a variety of initiatives aimed at boosting Gwinnett’s ability to attract business. He’s been pleased to witness Gwinnett’s ongoing economic growth – in particular, the county’s success recruiting company headquarters.

Leo, who is President of Ackerman Retail, is featured in a GeorgiaTrend magazine article focused on this very subject. The steady flow of HQ relocations to Gwinnett County in recent years has certainly been impressive and the article notes that this trend shows no sign of abating.

One of the biggest HQ announcements in the past year was Boehringer Ingelheim’s decision to move its North American animal health pharmaceutical headquarters from St. Joseph, Mo., to Duluth.

“Having a multi-billion dollar international company such as Boehringer Ingelheim locate their U.S. headquarters in Gwinnett, and specifically within the Gwinnett Place CID, demonstrates that the area’s strategic location, its strong infrastructure and talent assets are clear benefits to business enterprises as they consider site selection,” Leo told the magazine.

AmerisourceBergen, Level 3 Communications, Crawford & Company, M&I Materials, Trenton Systems and Shuma Sports also have picked Gwinnett for HQ locations.

With major infrastructure improvements planned to accommodate additional economic development and mixed-use projects under way (including a redevelopment of Infinite Energy Center) that will enhance the county’s urban amenities, Gwinnett is clearly primed for more population growth and economic prosperity. As the GeorgiaTrend article summed up, these sorts of projects are “just the thing to attract employees needed to keep the jobs engine humming across this bigger-is-better county.”

Atlanta attracted an impressive 52 million visitors in 2016. Many of them headed downtown to one or more of the city’s elite attractions – the Georgia Aquarium, Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center.

Now comes Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of both the Atlanta Falcons NFL squad and the city’s new MLS team, the Atlanta United FC. The $1.5-billion multi-use facility will host its first game this Saturday when the Falcons play the Arizona Cardinals.

The stadium is already receiving accolades for its innovative design and amenities. While Mercedes-Benz Stadium will no doubt wow sports fans with one-of-a-kind features such as the world’s largest 360-degree halo video screen, even more important for Atlanta is the impact this huge project will have on the local economy.

The stadium has already been booked for some of the sporting world’s biggest events, including this season’s College Football Playoff National Championship, the 2019 Super Bowl and the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four. Visitors from all parts of the U.S., as well as international travelers, will converge on Atlanta to attend these events.

“The opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a very exciting moment for the city of Atlanta. It will raise Atlanta’s image by bringing more high-profile events to the city, and these events will be great for the city’s economy, generating income for area hotels, restaurants and shops,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “The new stadium also complements the other major venues near the stadium, like the Georgia World Congress Center, which hosts one million-plus visitors each year.”

In addition to these economic benefits, major commercial real estate projects are in the works near the stadium: GWCC has proposed building an 800-room hotel on the former site of the Georgia Dome (which will be demolished this fall) and a 220-room Hard Rock Hotel is expected to open before Atlanta hosts the 2019 Super Bowl.

So, to be sure – Atlanta has plenty to be excited about as it gears up for the upcoming games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Port of Savannah is constantly breaking its own records. Just this past month, the port surpassed its July record for cargo handled, moving 336,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units) – a nearly 7 percent increase over the previous July.

With this ongoing surge of cargo volumes, the Port of Savannah has grown into the fourth-busiest port in the U.S. for containerized materials, trailing only the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and Port of New York & New Jersey.

This is not only good news for Savannah’s economy – it also benefits Atlanta’s industrial market. That’s because many of the goods imported into Savannah are later trucked to Atlanta, one of the nation’s key distribution hubs.

As one of the top-10 consumer markets In the U.S. and a strategically located distribution hub, Atlanta is a logical market for retailers seeking to establish regional distribution centers that pack and ship products to stores, businesses and other end-users. Many of those items arrive in the U.S. via the Port of Savannah.

The roster of companies that have set up bulk distribution centers in Atlanta is proof of the city’s logistical benefits. In addition to the large existing centers in metro Atlanta for Google, PetSmart and others, online retailing giant Amazon.com recently announced plans for a more than 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Jackson County northeast of Atlanta that will create 1,000 jobs.

Those projects are indicative of the growing demand for industrial space in Atlanta, which is also spurring construction activity. Gross absorption in the Atlanta industrial market totaled 13.9 million square feet in the second quarter, up from 10.6 million in gross absorption during the same quarter a year ago. The construction pipeline remains active, with 13.2 million square feet under construction as of the second quarter.

Major projects under way in the metro area include Lambert Farms Logistics Park (1.5 million square feet) and Dollar General Distribution Center (1.2 million square feet).

Ackerman & Co. recently completed a five-year, 5,136-square-foot lease with Godavari, a national restaurant chain specializing in South Indian cuisine, at Windward Promenade in Alpharetta, Ga. Godavari is the first Georgia location for the restaurant chain, which currently has 14 restaurants across the U.S.

Troy Morris, brokerage associate at Ackerman & Co., assisted Godavari in selecting Windward Promenade as the site for its initial metro Atlanta restaurant and represented the franchise in the lease transaction. Sam Krueger of Riverwood Properties LLC represented the landlord (Riverwood Properties).

“This is an excellent, high-visibility location for Godavari’s first restaurant in metro Atlanta,” said Morris. “The restaurant will benefit from its proximity to numerous office buildings and retailers, and will also attract customers from the affluent residential neighborhoods in and around Alpharetta, which includes a heavy Indian population.”

Congratulations to Bryan Davis, our March Broker of the Month!

Bryan, who earned the Ackerman & Co. Top Young Producer of the Year award years before, continues to surpass expectations, evidenced by his most recent deals.

Last month, Bryan signed a new medical tenant and renewed an existing one, both at ten-year terms. The active broker also signed a brand new retail tenant and assisted a long-term tenant with a major expansion, doubling their space for another 10-year term.

If you’re in the market for a diligent, service-oriented commercial real estate solution provider, Bryan is your expert.

Kirk Rich, Ackerman & Co. President of Brokerage, Keener Miller (center) and Sim Doughtie

Keene Miller, Ackerman & Co. President of Brokerage and also President of The Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, spoke at the 59th Million Dollar Club Banquet, celebrating the best in commercial real estate. The Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® is one of the largest commercial in the nation with more than 2,200 members. The 2017 Million Dollar Club produced over a record-setting $26+ billion in commercial real estate transactions, surpassing the previous record of just over $25 billion, set in 2016.

Ackerman congratulates all Million Dollar Club award winners, including our own, for their outstanding achievements. Each of the following Ackerman brokers has generated in excess of four and a half million dollars in commercial real estate sales and leasing activity last year.

Kevin Hermetz $20+ Million		Sean Patrick $20+ Million		Larry Jarema $10+ Million
Frank Farrell $4.5+ Million		Jimmy Stevens $4.5+ Million		Brett Buckner $4.5+ Million

Industry veteran Brian Lefkoff has joined Ackerman & Co. as Senior Vice President under the company’s retail services platform, Ackerman Retail, which focuses on strengthening and expanding its full service retail brand throughout the Southeast.

Lefkoff joins the team with more than 15 years of solid executive retail tenant representation and management experience. He will be representing retailers with their site selection and expansion on behalf of Ackerman Retail.

Most recently, Lefkoff was Managing Partner/Owner of Southern Retail Brokerage Services, a firm specializing in site selection and lease negotiation for retail tenants.

“We are steadfastly growing our platform with the best talent in the industry to provide optimum solutions for our clients,” said Leo Wiener, President of Ackerman Retail. “Brian has extensive relationships and experience with complex retail transactions and providing enterprising solutions to some of the nation’s major national brands.”

F. Keene Miller, President of Brokerage with Ackerman & Co. was named President of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS (ACBR) for the 2017 term. Miller was sworn in during ACBR’s Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony held at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead on December 9th. The Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, an instrumental factor in the growth of organized real estate in the state of Georgia since 1910, is the largest commercial realtor association in the country with more than 2,500 members.

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“Service above self is his motto,” said John O’Neill, senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, when describing Miller from the podium during the ceremony. “Keene is a consensus builder who leans in to get the job done,” he added. Miller will be the association’s 42^nd president.

Miller who believes in “never letting the moment be bigger than him” is committed to the ACBR’s continued efforts to increase diversity, offering higher education classes and advocating for the commercial real estate industry while supporting the communities in which they do business.

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The growing retail services division of Ackerman & Co. recently welcomed Courtney Brumbelow as Senior Vice President of Ackerman Retail. Brumbelow is charged with directing the leasing of Ackerman’s retail properties as well as the company’s third-party retail property assignments. Additionally, she will help facilitate the continued team effort to strengthen and expand Ackerman’s retail platform throughout the Southeast.

Brumbelow brings more than 18 years of commercial real estate experience to Ackerman Retail and has completed more than 365 real estate transactions in excess of $155 million.

Prior to joining Ackerman Retail, Brumbelow was Vice President of Leasing at Moonbeam Capital Investments, where she was responsible for overseeing a 3.5-million-square-foot portfolio of shopping centers, enclosed malls and offices. Brumbelow also worked as Director of Real Estate for Penn Hodge Properties, in charge of development, leasing and property management of their real estate portfolio.

“Courtney has a solid track record of driving strong results. She brings a tremendous amount of talent and experience to our team,” said Leo Wiener, President of Ackerman Retail.