David Marks

David M. Marks

David Marks is the President and CEO of Phoenix Investors, a national real estate firm specializing in industrial real estate based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as trustee, key officer, director, and manager for all its affiliated entities, a role that he has held since 1994. Mr. Marks oversees all investments, with responsibilities that begin pre-acquisition and extend through ownership and disposition. Mr. Marks began his real estate career in the late 1980s while still an undergraduate, completing acquisition underwriting, portfolio analysis, and abstracting complex anchor tenant leases on a national basis. In the early 1990s, Mr. Marks worked on national acquisitions, underwritings, and financings, highlighted by assisting in the creation of Wall Street’s first retail commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) transaction. Today, he oversees one of the largest private industrial real estate portfolios comprised of 46 million square feet, spanning 28 states. Mr. Marks and his wife Rachael are active supporters of various charitable organizations, with a specific focus on Jewish charities in Southeastern Wisconsin. He received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin.

Finding Industrial Real Estate in a Low-Capacity Environment

With capacity at historic lows and asking rents at a premium, locating usable real estate space can prove very challenging for industrial businesses. E-commerce fulfillment operations have dominated new industrial leasing over the past year, but they aren’t the only users of industrial real estate. Manufacturers, transportation providers, B2B distribution centers, data centers, and numerous other business types also need reliable access to industrial space to accommodate growth and modernize operations. Industrial properties have become difficult to find—but not impossible. If your business can’t wait ... Read More

If You Can’t Find Industrial Real Estate, Use Your 3PL

The industrial real estate shortage has become a critical challenge for e-tailers and retailers alike as e-commerce activity continues to hold at record levels. Online vendors need to locate inventory closer to their customers to reduce shipping costs and accommodate consumer demand for quick delivery, but warehouses and fulfillment centers around the United States have record low vacancy. When good properties do become available, they are asking for record high rents—especially in urban markets. Given these facts, keeping product close to customers is easier said ... Read More

What Does “Made in America” Mean for Industrial Real Estate?

Ongoing supply chain disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have caused American companies to consider reshoring production and logistics assets to U.S. soil. The Biden administration has openly supported these initiatives in its 2022 budget by proposing $600 billion in funding to support U.S.-based manufacturing jobs. President Biden also established an official Made in America office by executive order in January 2021 to promote reshoring initiatives and encourage U.S. businesses to source domestically. While e-commerce continues to dominate the industrial real estate sector, onshoring efforts ... Read More

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