Thomas O. Pearson and Chris Teesdale, executive vice presidents for Colliers International in Dallas, confirms for GlobeSt.com that companies are starting to reassess their strategies, which could be a windfall for Dallas/Fort Worth and third-party logistics providers. For some companies, their push in recent years toward centralized distribution centers could fall victim to rising diesel fuel prices, driving a possible return to numerous locations to combat fuel costs and keep wares within closer striking distances of customers.

"There is no question that there is change afoot with virtually every company right now," Pearson says. "But, every company is different. It will be based on business, where the goods are coming from and where the stores are located."

The subject already has surfaced during Colliers' monthly conference call for the multi-modal services group. "The consensus is a lot of the major distribution users are stepping back and re-evaluating their distribution models as a result of the price of fuel," Teesdale says.

Thornton

"I've had discussions with other real estate people that the trend could reverse," Thornton says. "But the reality is as of today, I can't say I've heard it from a user. It does make sense to me, though. But, it would have to go up pretty high and we're just in the early stages of this."