Robert Thornburgh: Overall, a general sense of optimism continues to influence the Southern California industrial market, and there are no signs of abatement within any of the key drivers currently propelling us forward. I would expect this to be the theme throughout the upcoming SIOR Conference.

Businesses both large and small are simply feeling better about future growth prospects, while the enthusiasm from capital markets for industrial assets remains fast paced. Increasing demand, declining vacancy, rising rents and brisk investment activity are evidence of how quickly our industry is changing. The real challenge we now face is the limited supply of functional product currently available to meet this growing demand.

GlobeSt.com: Tell us a little about what you do with indpendent brokers.

Thornburgh: Over the last two years, I am very proud to see the Independent Brokerage Group within SIOR develop with such tremendous success. During this time, our committee has been working diligently to expand how independents work together, not only within IBG but also including our valued counterparts in larger regional and global firms.

The purpose of the Independent Brokerage Group is to create and sustain a network of highly qualified, independent SIOR brokers across the world to collaborate, share information and enhance business opportunities for its members. Currently, independent members comprise approximately 45% of the total SIOR membership within the organization.

Looking forward, we endeavor to continue increasing the value proposition for this incredibly important segment of SIOR and ultimately, the valued clients we serve.