The New Infill Economics

Last year Staley Point Capital and Bain Capital Real Estate acquired a 55,000-square-foot industrial infill property in Santa Fe Springs, CA. As far as some industrial operations go, it is a rather standard building. Formerly owned and occupied by Astro Paper, a family-owned distributor of fine papers and envelopes, it underwent a renovation prior to being purchased with refurbishments including a new roof and 3,500 square feet of renovated office.

But make no mistake: this facility is helping to plug a hole in the Los Angeles area’s distribution networks. The property has direct access to the rest of Los Angeles County and is within eight miles to Long Beach Airport, 25 miles to the Los Angeles International Airport and 20 miles to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Regional port activity in May 2021 saw a 74% increase from the previous year, the highest annual gain on record.

Infill industrial operations have been an important component of many, if not most, companies’ supply chains for decades now. Since the pandemic, though, their role has been heightened given the changed buying habits of many US consumers.