What do you see as the best industrial markets to be in within the SE in the coming decade?
Curious what everyone’s opinions are on what the most active industrial markets will be in the Southeast in the coming years. I’m a commercial broker and enjoy working in the industrial sector the most but my market is pretty limited in these opportunities.  I’ve been kicking around the idea of moving to a market with a more promising industrial future where I could actually focus on these transactions. Would love to hear everyone’s opinions.
[{"id": "ghw1jpb", "text": "Atlanta. Big industrial market with most transactional volume annually.", "replies": [{"id": "ghw27sx", "text": "Definitely an impressive industrial market.  I\u2019ve spent enough time there though to know I would never want to live there. It sure is booming though.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ghw7luq", "text": "Consider the smaller cities with growing industrial bases \u2014 Charleston, Savannah, etc. \n\nProbably is a challenge to break into the good ole\u2019 boy networks in the really small markets, though.", "replies": [{"id": "ghwcfnk", "text": "Charleston\u2019s been at the top of the list. Seems to be strong growth their and it\u2019s only getting on more and more big corporations radar. Greenville has been another one that\u2019s stood out.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ghw88b3", "text": "The R&amp;D belt in the Carolinas immediately jumps to mind. Not the SE, but Texas is another choice. My contacts in Fort Worth &amp; Houston can\u2019t keep up with the amount of new warehouse construction.", "replies": [{"id": "ghwchqd", "text": "Interesting. Any specific cities over there?", "replies": [{"id": "ghyi8q9", "text": "South of Dallas or north of Plano. We\u2019re booming here", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "gi4x1vt", "text": "Yeah, those are pretty much my two as well.  The research triangle is just your basic growth play, I don't see them as particularly strong \"Industrial\" markets, but growth bails you out.  Texas on the other hand is outperforming on industrial.  Dallas recently surpassed Chicago as the largest Industrial market in the country, so the growth is there, and when you've got a a nice logistics core, it helps grow on itself.\n\nHouston is a little different, a lot of that is tied to plastics from the oil industry.  I mean, you're safe, I think, over the medium term, and probably long term for plastics, but of course oil has been so flippin' volatile that Houston's been a little up and down.  Less so for Industrial, but it still bites here and there.\n\nAustin's a nice growth market for the same reasons as the research triangle.\n\nOverall, though, Industrial's got such secular tailwinds combined with the secular tailwinds of the Southeast, that it's a pretty strong bet (though obviously as a broker you'll be competing the whole time, but first to market helps in that business, I would think).  \n\nInvestors love new Industrial.  Newer stuff accounts for an outsized share of transaction volume, according to the data I've seen.", "replies": [{"id": "gii0xu7", "text": "Dallas #1 by what metric? Dallas hasn't dethroned Chicagoland (1) or SoCal/LA (2) markets in terms of SF.", "replies": [{"id": "giloaoo", "text": "Hmm, could be a difference of sources or geographies?  As I look at total Industrial SF by metro I'm seeing Dallas narrowly ahead.  Though if you were to add LA and Inland together, I'd cede the point.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ghykqyv", "text": "I\u2019ve seen huge jumps in our area of NE GA.  One of my light industrial buildings has nearly doubled in price in 5 years.  I need to buy another and I\u2019m not looking forward to it.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ghzt616", "text": "Anyone on here working in the Charleston area?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gi2ueql", "text": "Not South Florida. Too much cap rate compression and most owners have had institutional paper in front of them. Hard to make sense of much down here unless you're an end user or have an AAA tenant in tow. Atlanta/Carolinas seems promising but those markets have the risk for oversupply due to lots of developable land.", "replies": [{"id": "gi4xtor", "text": "South Florida is sooooo supply constrained for Industrial.  Miami in particular.  I've seen that argument made for low cap rate deals, and I think it's reasonable.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "gi538g6", "text": "Yeah been cautious of Florida as I feel like 90% of my clients in the Carolinas have come from them wanting to get out of the Florida market.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "giccns6", "text": "I'm in Birmingham, AL, and our industrial market is at maximum capacity (effectively 98% occupied), with very little new product announced, and no speculative development.  We are a relatively illiquid market in that we don't get much attention from institutional owners, primarily due to our stagnant population growth...but our MSA is still over 1 million and we have many auto manufacturing plants nearby (Mercedes, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda).  Most of the product is owned by 3 main landlords, which have been able to dominate the region due to a lack of competition.  One local competitor just sold their SE portfolio to Exeter for $800m, with several of the buildings located in this market.  It's a great place to live, even if you don't get the dynamism of more vibrant cities.  Huntsville is really blowing up, with a million SF of speculative product announced in just the last year.  Not sure I would recommend it from a pure brokerage play, but if you looking to find high occupancies with 7%+ cap rates, then there's a lot of opportunity here.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gieuoja", "text": "The Sun Belt which includes Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte", "replies": [{"id": "gif9nbk", "text": "Thanks, our top choices right now are Greenville and Charleston, sc.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gifkk7v", "text": "Lakeland, Fl market has been seeing a lot of warehouse/shipping development", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gikyeew", "text": "Clarksville, Tennessee is experiencing massive industrial growth. The tax incentives, available land, work pool, and accessibility to other regions is outstanding.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]