For years, “just in time” has been the key to driving efficiency of retailers and manufacturers alike. This model by and large combined low-cost production in Asian markets supported by speedy air carrier distribution to move goods while holding minimal cushion for backup stock. Post-pandemic thinking could bring that epoch to an end. The crisis has underscored our distribution networks’ fragility, which are now vulnerable to closed facilities, ports and borders. Many businesses are planning major restructuring of their supply chain processes due to the disruptions that we all have endured in recent months. The new model based on quick recovery will likely be driven by resiliency that ensures adequate merchandise availability in the event of threats to a business’ supply chain stability. This will require more warehouse and distribution space to store goods for deliveries in last-mile markets. The noticeable effects continue to grow as more last-mile oriented warehouse space is leased closer to the end-user. Industrial users see the impact of the pandemic as a short-term challenge that is altering the long-term growth strategy of their corporate planning. By way of example, Publix’s Southeast store sales climbed 21.8 percent for the second quarter of this year. Grocery now …
LEAWOOD, KAN. — AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AMC) anticipates that existing cash resources will be largely depleted by the end of this year or early 2021 and will therefore require additional liquidity or increases in attendance levels, according to an SEC filing from Tuesday. As of Oct. 9, Leawood-based AMC had resumed operations at 494 of its 598 U.S. theaters, with limited seating capacities between 20 and 40 percent. Since the resumption of operations in U.S. markets, AMC has served more than 2.2 million customers, representing an attendance decline of roughly 85 percent compared with the same period a year ago. AMC cites new movie releases in October and November as incentive to stay open, even when other movie chains like Regal Cinemas have announced plans to temporarily suspend U.S. operations. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, CEO Adam Aron said AMC was doing everything it could to raise money to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and wasn’t considering bankruptcy at this time. AMC’s stock price closed at $2.96 per share Wednesday, Oct. 14, down from $8.95 per share one year ago.
ATLANTA AND SCHIPHOL, NETHERLANDS — Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD) has agreed to acquire Agro Merchants Group, a privately held cold storage warehouse owner based in The Netherlands, for $1.74 billion. Atlanta-based Americold entered into the agreement with Agro Merchants’ owner, an investor group led by funds managed by Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management LP. The move will give Americold its first cold storage properties in Europe. Agro Merchants, which has its North American headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., owns and operates 46 cold storage properties in 10 countries. The company is the fourth largest cold storage owner in the United States and third largest in Europe. Agro Merchants serves more than 2,900 customers across multiple industries. “We are confident that by joining Americold, we will accelerate our growth and by combining our complementary networks, we will be able to provide a more comprehensive range of solutions to customers around the world,” says Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of Agro Merchants. Americold is the only publicly traded REIT specializing in cold storage, which is seeing an influx of investment and leasing demand since the onset of the pandemic. According to a June report from Vyzn Research, the global cold storage sector is estimated …
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles-based Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT has completed its previously announced merger with Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II in a stock-for-stock transaction, creating a combined company with more than $2 billion in gross real estate and real estate-related assets. The new company has retained the name Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT. “We believe the merger creates a stronger and more robust company, and provides significant benefits to stockholders, including improved access to capital markets and reduced operating costs,” says Keith Hall, CEO and a director of Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT. Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisor to Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT’s special committee of the board of directors and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey acted as financial advisor to Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II’s special committee of board of directors. Morrison & Foerster LLP, Rogers & Hardin LLP and DLA Piper LLP (US) served as legal counsel in the transaction.
TOLEDO, OHIO — Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) has sold three separate portfolios totaling $1.3 billion in value. The portfolios comprise 11 seniors housing facilities in the Western United States, six seniors housing communities in Massachusetts and 20 outpatient medical facilities across five states. Separately, Welltower also announced on Monday a strategic personnel change in the C-suite as the Toledo-based REIT promoted Shankh Mitra from chief operating officer to CEO effective immediately. Tom DeRosa is stepping down from his role as CEO after six years. Mitra will also retain his chief investment officer title. Details of seniors housing sales The sales price of the Western portfolio totaled $702 million, or $466,000 per unit. The unnamed properties are situated in California, Washington and Nevada and have an average age of 12 years. Welltower’s previous ownership stake in the portfolio was 80 percent. The buyer was not disclosed. The sales price of the Massachusetts portfolio totaled $200 million, or $395,000 per unit. The unnamed properties have an average age of 19 years. Welltower is reducing its ownership stake from 95 percent to 20 percent. The remaining 80 percent of the portfolio will be owned by a fund co-managed by Taurus Investment Holdings and …
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Regal Cinemas will temporarily suspend operations at all of its 536 U.S. theaters beginning Thursday, Oct. 8. British owner-operator Cineworld (LON: CINE) owns Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Cinemas, which has about 7,000 screens across its U.S. portfolio of theaters. Cineworld also announced plans to close all of its theaters in the United Kingdom this week. The closures will impact about 40,000 employees, according to Cineworld. “This is not a decision we made lightly, and we did everything in our power to support a safe and sustainable reopening in the United States,” says Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld. “From putting in place robust health and safety measures at our theaters to joining our industry in making a collective commitment to the CinemaSafe protocols to reaching out to state and local officials to educate them on these initiatives, we are grateful for and proud of the hard work our employees put in to adapt our theaters to the new protocols,” he adds. While theaters in several major markets, most notably New York City, remain closed, many large cities have permitted theaters to reopen at limited capacities in recent weeks. Venues located in Manhattan’s famous Broadway District that showcase plays also …
NORTHBROOK, ILL. — In order to lower costs, The Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL) says it is implementing a restructuring plan that will impact roughly 3,800 employees primarily in claims, sales, service and support functions. The cuts, which make up about 8 percent of the company’s workforce, come as the insurer is consolidating and closing regional offices around the country, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Allstate expects to incur $290 million in restructuring charges, primarily for severance and employee benefits. It also expects to incur $80 million in real estate exit costs from office closures. The insurance giant is headquartered at 2775 Sanders Road in Northbrook, Ill. Its stock price closed at $92.26 per share Thursday, Oct. 1, down from $105.61 one year ago.
AZLE, TEXAS — Greystone has funded a $24.1 million HUD loan for the refinancing of Reata West, a 224-unit apartment community in Azle, located northwest of Fort Worth. Built in 2018, the garden-style property consists of 10 three-story buildings that house one, two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities include a clubhouse, pool, business center, fitness center and a dog park. Eric Rosenstock of Greystone originated the loan, which carried a 40-year term and a fixed interest rate, on behalf of the borrower, Partin Development Group.
BURBANK, CALIF. — The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) will lay off 28,000 employees who were previously furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to multiple media reports. Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., both closed in mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Disney’s chief financial officer Christine McCarthy said in May that for every two weeks the parks were closed, the company lost $500 million. Disney World reopened in July with limited capacity, but Disneyland remains closed under California guidelines. A timeline for reopening has not been established. Disney chairman Josh D’Amaro sent a letter to employees Tuesday, Sept. 29 notifying workers of the impending layoffs. The letter does not disclose how many layoffs the company expects to make, but he says in the letter that layoffs will affect executive, salary and hourly roles. “Earlier this year, in response to the pandemic, we were forced to close our businesses around the world. Few of us could have imagined how significantly the pandemic would impact us — both at work and in our daily lives,” D’Amaro said in the letter. “We initially hoped that this situation would be short-lived, and that we would recover quickly and …
BEAVERTON, ORE. — Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE), the Beaverton-based footwear giant, has reported it revenues were $10.6 billion for its 2021 fiscal first quarter, which ended Aug. 31. The revenue represents a decrease of 1 percent from the same period in 2019, with its direct sales at $3.7 billion, up 12 percent, and Nike Brand digital sales swelling by 82 percent. The digital sales growth resulted from e-commerce increases across North America, Greater China, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. According to the company, its first-quarter revenue performance was impacted by strong Nike Brand digital growth, offset by lower revenue in its wholesale business and Nike-owned stores. Nearly all of the Nike-owned physical stores were open during the quarter. Despite the open stores, Nike experienced year-over-year declines in physical retail traffic across the marketplace due to COVID-19 impacts and safety-related measures. Nike’s selling and administrative expenses decreased 11 percent to $3 billion, with demand creation expense down 33 percent at $677 million primarily due to lower marketing spend as many live sporting events were postponed or cancelled. Additionally, operating overhead expense decreased 1 percent to $2.3 billion as lower travel and related expenses were slightly offset …