Ed Redlich and Edison Vasquez from ComReal participated in the panel,
along with Gian Carlo Alonso, President and CEO of AmeriKooler.
All three are FIU Alumni.

The first topic discussed was why many companies and investors are
attracted to Miami for investment on Industrial Real Estate. All panelist
agreed that Miami International Airport, Port Miami, combined with the
great population growth, have fueled the Industrial Real Estate Market
over the last few years. Another factor is the limited availability of land;
Miami is landlocked by Everglades on the West and Atlantic Ocean on
the East. In the first quarter of 2018, the vacancy rate for warehouse
space in Miami stood at 4.3%, among the lowest in the country and one
of the lowest Miami has seen in 10 years. Read our latest market report
here: 1st Quarter 2018 Miami Industrial Report. >>>

Gian Carlo mentioned how manufacturing is making a comeback across
the country, including South Florida. He mentioned Florida being “Right-to-
Work” state is very appealing to companies. Also, transportation cost
to move product out of Miami can be cheap as most freight comes in
and there is a lot of trucking capacity to go out. One worry Gian Carlo
mentioned as business owner is the rise in rents for people living in
Miami. This hurts employees and could push them to move out; limiting
the supply of labor for manufacturing.

On the future of Industrial Real Estate in Miami, everyone was positive
and sees great potential moving forward. Industries leading the demand
for warehouse space in Miami include Perishables (Flowers and
Produce), Aviation and Logistics, including e-commerce. One additional
drive for the growth in the market is the migration of people and
companies from high tax states, such as New York, Illinois and
California. Ed and Edison have seen this first hand as they worked on a
47,500 SF lease to a company relocating from New York. Read the
story here: Industrial Building Leased to NY Company

Moving to career advice, Edison and Ed told students to find a spot
where one can feel comfortable and grow; not to be afraid of moving
from position to position. Brokerage is one of the best way to start in
this business. Find a team to join; being part of a team is essential to the
success in commercial real estate. A team can give support and
guidance to the new person starting in the business. Another note of
advice was to work on specializing on a sector of commercial real
estate, whether is Industrial, Office, Retail, Multifamily or other. Being an
expert in that field will give the agent an advantage over competitors.

Thank you to FIU’s Hollo School of Real Estate for the opportunity of
participating in the panel. Congratulations on putting up such a great
event! Our team looks forward to being part of future events.

For more information on Industrial Real Estate in Miami contact ComReal’s
Industrial team at 786-433-2380

ComReal’s industrial real estate team tracks every warehouse in Miami that has climate controls, refrigeration, coolers, freezers and air conditioning (AC) that might suit a pharmaceuticals distributor and/or manufacturer. For more information on Miami warehouses, please contact ComReal at 786-433-2380 or visit www.MiamiIndustrialTeam.com.

You might also like to review the attached items from the MIA Pharma Hub event:

• Presentations on “Pharma and its Future in South Florida” >>>
• CEIV Pharma Infographic >>>
• Miami International Airport’s Pharma Hub Brochure >>>
• IATA / CEIV Pharmaceutical Information Packet >>>

In April 22-25, I attended the 2015 Spring World Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. The event was hosted by the SOCIETY OF INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE REALTORS®. As the 2014-2015 President for the Florida Chapter, this was a great opportunity to other SIOR’s and others involved in commercial real estate. SIOR’s meet every spring and fall at various locations nationwide. The meetings held during these conferences include educational programming, in addition to a variety of business and social opportunities. SIOR conferences are designed to help attendees connect, build relationships and facilitate business logistics with other SIOR’s, in addition to industry colleagues and exhibitors. In addition, Independent Florida SIOR’s, Bob Dikman and Ed Redlich, explored the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on a 10 miles hike after the Spring Conference. Below are a few photos from my trip…

Port Miami wants to establish itself as the ideal port of entry for both Peru as well as all of Latin America because of it’s close proximity. The goal is for Miami to be to Peru what Philadelphia is to Chile. At the present time, much of the produce from Latin America is shipped up to Philadelphia then transported via truck or train back down south to Miami. This is a waste of time. Port Miami’s new slogan is: “Faster is Fresher” which is ideal for produce and other foods being imported to the USA. In addition, Miami’s rail connections can reach 70% of the population in the USA within only 1 to 4 days. For more information, please view this flyer on Port Miami, the “Perishables Gateway for Peru”. >>>

The main attraction of the trade mission was Expoalimentaria. This expo is one of the largest trade shows in the world focusing on the foods and produce industries. More than 30,000 attendees visit Expoalimentaria in Lima every year. For more info, check out the website at www.expoalimentariaperu.com. In addition to the expo, we also had the opportunity to meet with Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade, AMCHAM as well as Camara de Comercio de Lima (CCL) chamber of commerce.

John Dohm and Ed Redlich representing Miami Realtors on Port Miami trade mission to Expoalimentaria in Lima, Peru

According to Miami Realtors and National Realtors, Peruvians are 9th in foreign buyers purchasing property in Miami, Florida, USA.

Just south of Lima is an area called Ica. Ica is to Lima what the Redland is to Miami. Ica has a very large agricultural community. Our delegation was delighted to tour farms that were producing avocado, asparagus, grapes and citrus.

This trip to Peru meant a lot to me. Not only was it an amazing business opportunity, but it reminded me of my days as a kid farming avocados. Back then, my family owned a small, 5-acre fruit grove in the Redland, South Florida, just south of Miami. For over 15 years, we spent many seasons packing several bins of avocados and then taking them to the local packing house, Brooks Tropicals. This gave us (small, family growers) a chance to sell our produce. Our family enjoyed avocados for dinner during the season and gave bags of them away as gifts to very happy recipients.

In the early years, we had mowed the five acres with a push lawn mower. This took us two full days; about one full weekend every month. Each one of us took turns mowing. Then finally (after years of pestering) we convinced my father to purchase a Sears Craftsman riding lawn mower with a 36” deck. Then it only took us one day to mow. Sometimes when I share this story, people ask me: “Don’t you wish that you had just hired someone else to mow the yard?” My answer is simple: “No way!”. I wouldn’t have traded this for anything. It built a strong family bond and instilled character which you can never put a price on.

From the Redland (Miami, Florida) to Peru and back again…

You might say that American farmers would lose some of their advantage if more produce were allowed to be imported from Latin America into the USA. This might be true, however American importers and distributors are certainly missing out on opportunities for growth right now. Not to mention that this causes the American consumer to have less choices plus higher costs. Americans do have the right to be concerned with the health effects of eating imported produce that has additional chemicals required by USDA (as lobbied by American farmers) some of which may or may not even be necessary.

In addition to its amazing food and produce, Peru has plentiful opportunities for hiking, exploration and adventure! I plan to visit Peru again and will share more stories of my travels there. In the meantime, please contact me anytime if you would like to discuss the opportunities between Peru and Miami.