LA MIRADA, CA-Specialty chemical products distributor E.T. Horn has signed a 15-year, 125,000-square-foot lease at 16050 Canary Ave. that is the largest industrial lease in the Mid-Cities market this year, according to NAI Capital. Senior vice president Doug Wubbena in NAI's Newport Beach, CA office, who represented E.T. Horn in its lease, says that the lease represents an expansion of Horn's industrial space as well as a 15,000-square-foot expansion of office area for the E.T. Horn headquarters.

E.T. Horn company president Jeff Martin says that the new property will benefit its customers by affording the company "even greater flexibility in regional service to customers." E.T. Horn intends to occupy and manage key operations within its expanded industrial campus after it completes a major tenant improvement build-out during the first quarter of 2011.

Horn's lease is with building owner Mirada Enterprises. The listing agent for the property is Rick McGeagh of the Torrance office of CB Richard Ellis.

The E.T. Horn lease is one of a number of large industrial leases that have been signed recently in Southern California, prompting a number of industry observers to say that industrial activity is on the uptick here. In NAI's Fall Perspective, a report in which the company's brokers present their outlooks regarding a number of industry metrics, the majority of NAI's industrial brokers indicated that logistics and warehouse/distribution companies are seeking new space. "This is no surprise considering that world trade appears to be increasing," the Fall Perspective states. The Port of Long Beach is the West Coast’s most important port. As world trade recovers, industries that use and support the port are expected to require more industrial space."

The value of E.T. Horn's lease was not disclosed. The company, which is employee owned, is one of North America's largest distributors, marketers and manufacturers of specialty chemicals, raw materials, and specialty ingredients for use in composites, adhesives, food products, coatings, plastics, building materials, elastomers, lubrication, nutrition, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, personal care, home care, air care and, most recently, animal wellness products.