In this time of tariff, trade and political tension, Canada's inventory of industrial assets is particularly experiencing turbulence. After all, these are the places where goods and products are made, stored, and from which they are distributed.
Skyline Industrial REIT is highly attuned to the challenges presented by trade uncertainty, but the organization is also seeking opportunities.
In this episode of CRE Talks, Colliers' Jean-Marc Dubé and Arnold Fox are joined by Skyline Industrial REIT’s Mike Bonneveld, president, and Alex LeLiever, national director of leasing.
Over a 2019 Burgundy, they discuss the barriers and upsides Canada and its industrial market are facing, as well as Skyline's evolution from a residential syndication business to a multi-faceted REIT with $4.5 billion in invested capital.
The conversation also covers:
- Skyline's original expansion into industrial and retail markets, starting in 2012 — and the company's motivation to embrace Montreal;
- Skyline taking an entrepreneurial approach to partnerships and acquisitions to ensure quick and efficient tenant management;
- tariffs forcing many industrial stakeholders in the market to pause on big decisions due to inconsistency and political noise; and
- how tariffs, while causing obstacles, are also driving the Canadian economy and industrial market to become more self-reliant and diversified domestically.