Phoenix, Arizona – Sperry Van Ness, LLC adds Beau Flahart as an Associate Advisor focusing on the leasing and sales of retail properties. Beau has teamed up with seasoned veterans Rommie Mojahed and Mary Ridberg, Directors of Leasing.  The team focuses on multiple areas of commercial real estate including retail leasing and investment sales.  Mojahed and Ridberg
Before real estate, Beau helped develop and grow Flahart Brothers Companies Inc. (FBC), a small building automations company. He began his career in real estate as a residential agent assisting clients with the acquisitions and dispositions of investment homes.

Beau attended Mesa Community College and Chandler Gilbert Community College before attending Arizona School of Real Estate and Business to obtain his Arizona real estate salesperson license in 2013. He is an active member of SEVRAR.

Beau Flahart can be reached at 480-425-5527 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON – Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 6.1% in April, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“With winter over, retailers are stocking up in anticipation of a busy spring and summer,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Consumers can expect plentiful supplies of merchandise.”

“A busy time is expected over the next few months, so retailers are keeping a close eye on the labor situation at West Coast ports to ensure that cargo continues to move smoothly,” Gold said, noting that the current contract for West Coast dockworkers expires June 30 but negotiations are not expected to begin until mid-May. “Companies are already exploring contingency plans in case of a disruption.”

U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.26 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in February, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. February is historically the slowest month of the year, and the number was down 8.4% from January and 1.4% from February 2013. One TEU is one 20-foot cargo container or its equivalent.

March was estimated at 1.31 million TEU, up 15% from the same month last year. April is forecast at 1.38 million TEU, up 6.1% from last year; May at 1.44 million TEU, up 3.8%; June at 1.43 million TEU, up 5.5%; July at 1.49 million TEU, up 3.1%, and August at 1.51 million TEU, up 1.2%. The first half of the year is expected to total 8.2 million TEU, up 5.5% over last year.

The total for 2013 was 16.2 million TEU, up 2.3% from 2012’s 15.8 million TEU.

The import numbers come as NRF is forecasting 4.1% sales growth in 2014, contingent on how Washington policies on economic issues affect consumer confidence. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with sales but is a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

“There is positive news with both the rebound in U.S. retail sales in February and the new filings for jobless benefits hitting a fresh three-month low last week, suggesting that the economy is gaining momentum,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “Our forecast continues to reflect the economic rebound and we remain convinced that 2014 will have sustainable growth.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Bill Petsas, Senior Vice President at EastGroup Properties, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Best of NAIOP event held at the Arizona Biltmore on Thursday, March 27, 2014.

Prior to joining EastGroup in 2000, Petsas was a VP with Prologis where he forged a career in the development, acquisition, leasing and management of industrial real estate. At EastGroup, Petsas oversees 34 million square feet of industrial space with a total market capitalization in excess of $2.8 billion.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the Arizona Chapter Board of Directors to an exemplary individual who has made a significant and positive impact on the office and industrial commercial real estate market in Arizona over a period of no less than 15 years.

It was also a big night for Ryan Companies US, Inc. and Marina Heights – Ryan’s $750 million, 2-million-square-foot development in Tempe.  Marina Heights won the prestigious Transaction of the Year and Talk of the Town awards.  Ryan Companies was named Owner/Developer of the Year, Firm of the Year, and General Contractor of the Year. Ryan is the owner/co-developer and general contractor for Marina Heights. Sunbelt Holdings is the other co-developer and The DAVIS Experience is the project architect.

Winning top broker awards were Jim Wilson, Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona, Industrial Broker of the Year; Tom Adelson, Jim Fijan, Jerry Roberts and Corey Hawley, CBRE, Office Brokers of the Year; and Mindy Korth, Colliers International, Investment Broker of the Year.

Economic Impact Project of the Year went to Able Engineering – Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. JLL was named Brokerage House of the Year.

The event, organized by NAIOP Arizona, was attended by 900 commercial real estate professionals.

Best of NAIOP winners: