My beautiful wife, Dr. Alice White, and I celebrated twenty-five fabulous years together this past June. To mark this achievement, we returned to our honeymoon location of Barbados, with all three of our college-aged daughters. Each of our girls, in their own way, expressed their sincere appreciation for having had the special opportunity to grow up on Daniel Island.
Read MoreThere’s an age-old adage known to every Economic Development professional: “You can’t sell pine trees!” The reference relates to the inability to secure the next industrial prospect with the “promise” of a new building on a green field site. The modern economy moves too fast, as companies seeking new space have a speed-to-market directive to achieve their occupancy within a timeframe (3 mos.) much shorter than that required for permitting, site work and new construction (12 mos.).
Read MoreThere’s simply no denying it: today’s parents face a tougher challenge raising kids than any previous generation since perhaps The Great Depression. Social media distraction, coupled with the constant barrage of negative news and socially pathetic “celebrities”, create a toxic and divisive void that keeps well meaning Moms and Dads from staying relevant to their kids.
Read MoreEstablished in 2009, Charleston Industrial is a real estate consulting company that provides marketing and forecasting expertise on the Charleston industrial market, port logistics, and aerospace manufacturing. The company was founded by Mike White, who has more than 21 years of experience in industrial real estate.
Read MoreI recently teamed up with several very sophisticated and well-capitalized investors from New York and New Jersey to successfully outbid others and secure a trophy commercial property here in Charleston. It was a true Art of the Deal experience that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. Despite doing a great deal of work with the lender and my new partners, the easiest portion of a complicated transaction was actually “the selling of Charleston”.
Read MoreMike White was invited to attend the VIP reception at The Boeing South Carolina campus last Friday, February 17, 2017. Almost 2,000 Boeing teammates, local dignitaries and VIPs were in attendance for the historic Roll-Out of the first-ever 787-10 Dreamliner!
Assembled exclusively at the North Charleston Final Assembly Campus, the 787-10 measures 18′ longer than the previous 787 model and will fly for the very first time in the coming months!
Read MoreHurtling down the “A7”, Germany’s longest Autobahn, pushing past 95 mph in my Mercedes 450 GLE coupe, I’m hitting a straight stretch that creates an eerily harmonious calming as man, machine and roadway become one. The Charleston Industrial market is, right now, in just such a place.
Read MoreThe grapes have been pulled from the vines and now the winemaking has begun! Having returned from two trips to Napa and Sonoma, I can assure you it’s a sprint to the finish. Wineries are coping with a limited crop due to the drought conditions out west and the better-know labels must be careful in balancing price and yield for their 2015 vintage.
Read MoreReaching Escape Velocity signifies that some strangely invisible force no longer holds us down. Rather we are capable of achieving even greater heights! The opportunities that once appeared out of reach are now plentiful offerings that our children’s generation will enjoy and expand upon.
Read MoreI’m no Rocket Scientist, but in the 6th grade I learned that Escape Velocity meant the speed an object must be traveling to “break free” from the object holding it down…for moon-shots that meant 25,000 miles per hour! (I once had the honor of attending a thrilling shuttle launch piloted by my West Point roommate, Astronaut Doug Wheelock).
Read MoreIt’s hard to believe that we’re already two months into the new year of 2016, but things are beginning to feel differently across the Charleston Industrial market. The slowdown in China has been felt at all U.S. ports, as the shipping industry struggles with over-capacity. The continued lack of real estate lending, due mostly to over-regulation, constrains the supply of new spec product. With the Panama Canal widening now at 95% complete, the anticipated seismic shift from west to east coast ports won’t be fully felt for at least another 12 months.
Read MoreBack in 200 BC, the Han Dynasty opened the Silk Road to get their goods to buyers in foreign markets. It would be centuries before the gasoline engine would be invented, yet the Han People created a Golden Age for themselves that lasted over 400 years.
Read MoreGreetings from Dusseldorf! Having spent a fascinating week in one of Germany’s most beautiful and productive cities, I have seen a glimpse of the future. Accompanied by two very professional and hard-working CRDA recruiters, we had the distinct privilege of touring factories and meeting a number of German manufacturing companies.
Read MoreWe’ve all been there. You arrive just before the start time for church, or the movies, and find there are only a few single seats open, not nearly enough for you and your family to sit together. You find a seat and plop down, frustrated the venue did not have enough planned capacity.
Read MoreTime certainly flies and it is hard to believe that 2015 is more than half over! As we head into the rest of the year, it is a good idea to recap so that we are better able to outline the upcoming trends. This year, the Charleston market has continued to see substantial growth, both in the industrial and office sectors.
Read MoreBy: Mike White, SIOR, CCIM, Broker-in-Charge
This is not the column I had intended to write this month. My semi-annual forecast can wait one more month, for this column is dedicated the nine Godly souls of AME Emanuel and the Great People of Charleston
Read MoreThe Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) is the leading association of industrial asset management and corporate real estate executives, their suppliers and service providers, and economic developer.
Read MoreAs we welcome the warmer weather across our abundantly beautiful Charleston, it’s apparent that new life is springing forth. Just as the tides refresh our shores twice a day with the influx of new food for the chain, the asset class “commercial real estate” (CRE) brings about widespread change as it adapts to a higher and better use.
Read MoreAlice and I are Blessed to be raising three teenage daughters in Charleston: America’s greatest city for families! If you’ve ever had teenagers around your house, you know getting them all out the door on time to school, church or dances is always an exercise in “Managed Chaos”.
I witnessed a similar Hot Mess during my recent visit to the Ports of LA and Long Beach. Driving the Vincent Thomas Bridge, I am struck by the remarkable crowding of every nook and cranny in the harbor. There are ships in every direction, with 20 more out at sea, waiting to enter this tangled terra incognita.
Read MoreWe are so fortunate to live and work in Charleston!
Beyond our amazing quality of life, astounding natural beauty, dynamic restaurant scene and uber-friendly people, we are enjoying an economic resurgence that rivals any major cosmopolitan market on the globe. You need only to “follow the money” to see with certainty that Charleston is changing fast and for the better, as we continue to attract increasing amounts of capital into all facets of our economy. Our firm specifically tracks industrial advancement and given the rapid absorption and pending new construction, our little market is an enviable place to operate within.
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