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Opening Keynote With Clay Development CEO Robert Clay

Robert Clay
KEYNOTE

Robert Clay

President & Co-Founder

Clay Development & Construction

John Moody, Jr.
Moderator

John Moody, Jr.

Manager

Moody Law Group

Robert Clay

KEYNOTE

Clay Development & Construction

Robert Clay co-founded Clay Development & Construction, Inc. in 1998 with his dad, Al Clay. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas A&M University before joining United Equities where he focused on construction supervision, property management, and leasing. After four years at United Equities, he joined Moody Rambin Interests, Inc., where his attentions were directed to project leasing and construction supervision.

At Clay Development, Robert manages day-to-day decisions and oversees all development, construction, and acquisition strategies.

John Moody, Jr.

Moderator

Moody Law Group

John S. Moody, Jr., is Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has extensive experience in real estate development, leasing, acquisitions, sales and financing. He represents developers, owners, families, financial institutions, investors, retailers and private equity funds in acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, financing and construction of all types of real estate.

Analyzing The Market

Sourcing Capital, Supply and Demand and Understanding Economic Conditions

J.W. Fields

J.W. Fields

Partner

Constellation Real Estate Partners

Matt Hyman

Matt Hyman

Vice President of Industrial Development, Texas

Ryan

Trent Agnew

Trent Agnew

Senior Managing Director

JLL

Warren Hitchcock

Warren Hitchcock

SVP & Managing Director

Northmarq

Austin Rios

Austin Rios

Director, Market Leader

Lovett Industrial

Errol Ramirez

Errol Ramirez

Industrial Team Lead - Director

Nelson

Anthony Marré
Moderator

Anthony Marré

Real Estate Attorney

Wilson, Cribbs, & Goren

J.W. Fields

Partner

Constellation Real Estate Partners

Mr.Fields is responsible for sourcing and executing new industrial development opportunities within Texas. Specifically, Mr. Fields focuses on site identification, market analysis, design team oversight, financial analysis, lease negotiation, and disposition management. He is actively involved in multiple industry organizations including NAIOP Houston, where he serves on the Development and Construction Committee and the Real Estate Center at UT-Austin as a member of the Advisory Council.

Before joining Constellation, Mr. Fields spent eight years at Trammell Crow Company where he focused on the development, leasing, and disposition of speculative industrial developments. During his tenure at Trammell Crow, he was responsible for the development and capitalization of over 4 million square feet of industrial space within the Houston market. Prior to joining Trammell Crow, he worked at J.P. Morgan in the Real Estate Banking group providing construction financing to institutional developers. Additionally, he previously served as an adjunct professor in the undergraduate real estate program at the University of Houston, Bauer College of Business.

Mr. Fields holds a B.B.A. in corporate finance and an M.B.A. in real estate finance from The University of Texas at Austin.

Matt Hyman

Vice President of Industrial Development, Texas

Ryan

As Vice President of Industrial Development,

Matt is responsible for leading and expanding

Ryan’s industrial development in the South

Central Region. With a decade of experience

delivering complex projects on schedule and

within budget, he’s an authentic, reliable and

creative professional who excels at building

relationships and partnerships. In his role, Matt

secures and executes new development and

construction opportunities, establishes the

overall industrial development strategy for his

region, develops effective marketing and sales

strategies, collaborates with capital markets to

sell completed projects, and provides oversight

to design and construction teammates. He

brings expertise in entitlements, speculative

development and build-to-suit projects, as well

as a passion for delivering results that exceed

expectations. A strong collaborator who prioritizes

relationships, Matt skillfully leads large groups of

people to develop impactful projects.

Trent Agnew

Senior Managing Director

JLL

Trent is a senior managing director in the Houston office of JLL Capital Markets, Americas. He joins JLL as part of the HFF acquisition and is primarily responsible for office and industrial investment advisory throughout Texas. Over the course of his career, Trent has been involved in closing more than $10.5 billion in transactions.

Prior to starting at HFF in 2007, Trent had a three-month internship with the Global Services group in Trammell Crow’s Houston office and was named Outstanding Finance Student at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

Warren Hitchcock

SVP & Managing Director

Northmarq

Warren currently serves as senior vice president/managing director in the Houston, Texas office for

NorthMarq Capital. With 2 decades of experience in commercial real estate investment banking, he is

responsible for managing the office as well as multiple teams originating, underwriting, marketing, and

closing debt and equity financing. Throughout his career he has completed the capitalization of a broad

array of assets including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, hospitality, data, storage, and medical

properties, ranging from suburban apartments to downtown office towers.

Warren has a long history of successfully structuring highly complex capital. He has been involved in

several of Houston’s most iconic and challenging transactions.  As an example, he successfully originated

the financing for some of Houston’s most challenged assets, specifically transacting and financing the 2.1

million sq. ft. former Exxon Mobil office campus which was less than 30 percent occupied at closing.

Transactions have included arranging permanent long-term life company financing, agency multifamily

debt, short-term bridge financing, mezzanine debt, and equity joint ventures with various institutional

capital sources. The capital relationships he has forged bridges all real estate investors including life

companies, Fannie, Freddie, FHA, banks, pension funds, bridge funds, and private equity funds.

Warren is a Top 10 Producer Nationally on an annual basis at NorthMarq and currently serves on the

Equity Advisor Board and Northmarq Producers Council, an appointment reserved for NorthMarq’ s top

originators. In addition to his responsibilities at NorthMarq, he is an active member of a number of

organizations including: Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals (ACRP) as past President

& Chairman, CCIM, a NAIOP committee member, and member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) serving

on numerous committees. Warren, who has two small children now, was born and raised in Houston, Tx

but holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

He lives by the creed “Persistence Always Pays Off”

Austin Rios

Director, Market Leader

Lovett Industrial

Mr. Rios serves as the Director and Market Leader for Central Texas and Colorado at Lovett Industrial. Austin is responsible for all aspects of Lovett’s projects in these markets including sourcing & evaluating new development and acquisition opportunities, entitlements, capitalization, leasing, and eventually project disposition efforts. He currently leads the execution of existing development projects in his covered markets totaling over 5.1 million SF and a pipeline consisting of over 3.5 million SF. Prior to joining Lovett Industrial, Mr. Rios worked at Broe Real Estate Group in Denver, CO. Mr. Rios holds a B.S. and M.S. in Accounting from Texas A&M University, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Errol Ramirez

Industrial Team Lead - Director

Nelson

With over 26 years of architectural experience, Errol has a proven

track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams to successful

completion of multi-story distribution centers, manufacturing and

industrial projects in Seattle, New York, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica,

Qatar and the UK. As Nelson's Industrial Team Lead and Director in

Houston, he prioritizes a strong strategic approach and team building,

while keeping the client's goals at the forefront.

Errol has worked on major projects for prestigious clients, including

Trammell Crow, Prologis, Ryan Companies, Blue Origin, Amazon,

Costco, Microsoft, and other recognized real estate development

companies. He plays a key role in all aspects of project delivery, from

contracts and due diligence to programming, design development,

building permits, construction documents, project administration,

and prototype deployments.

As the Sr. Project Manager of the first multi-story industrial buildings

In Seattle and New York, Errol's extensive experience in the multi-

story industrial buildings, allows him to contribute significantly to

project outcomes. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the

University of Idaho.

Background

Bachelor of Architecture

University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Professional Affiliations:

Member of Seattle Chapter of AIA

Anthony Marré

Moderator

Wilson, Cribbs, & Goren

Anthony Marré understands the risk his real estate clients face and, by putting himself in their shoes, is motivated by finding solutions to the challenges that keep them up at night. Having attended business school before going to law school and devoting his career to real estate, he understands his clients’ business goals and sees his role as not only managing risk but being a catalyst for their transactions.

Anthony sees himself not just as a part of his client’s team, but a part of their company and invested in their success. When it comes to real estate deals, clients appreciate the skills he has honed from having worked with clients on both sides of the closing table. His experience in negotiating with some of the largest institutional companies in the real estate industry, coupled with his ability to develop creative and personalized solutions to complex business problems, adds value for his clients.

As a native Houstonian, Anthony fully understands the competitive and rapidly evolving real estate landscape in Texas, and clients are well served by his intimate knowledge of the risks inherent in the industry. Anthony’s commitment to his clients goes well beyond expectations. For example, the firm has incubated several start-up real estate companies in the law firm's building.

Anthony assists clients in the areas of acquisition, financing, construction, development, leasing, unimproved land, apartments, condominiums, office buildings, shopping centers, warehouses, industrial developments, and mixed-use projects. He is board-certified in commercial real estate law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of Texas.

As Wilson Cribbs + Goren’s Managing Shareholder, Anthony also helps the firm’s founders provide strategic leadership and direction. He also oversees client development, attorney recruitment, and community initiatives. Under his leadership, the firm’s client-first culture and singular focus on real estate continue to flourish.

Analyzing Opportunities In and Around The Port

Real Estate Opportunities Spurred By Increased Activity

Justin Robinson

Justin Robinson

Partner

Stream

Christen Vestal

Christen Vestal

Director of Development & Acquisitions

Provident Realty Advisors

John Moseley

John Moseley

COO

Port Houston

Darrell Betts

Darrell Betts

Principal, Capital Markets Group

Avison Young

Steven Ward

Steven Ward

Managing Partner

WGA Consulting Engineers

Jarrod Portelance

Jarrod Portelance

Project Manager

Harvey Cleary

Nick Campbell
Moderator

Nick Campbell

VP

Gordon Highlander

Justin Robinson

Partner

Stream

Justin Robinson serves as Partner in Stream’s Houston office and was one of the original five team members when the Houston office opened in 2006. Justin is responsible for overseeing leasing services in Houston and under his leadership, the group has grown to become the largest third party service platform in Houston with a portfolio in excess of 43 million square feet. In addition, Justin serves as a key player-coach who is active in the day-to-day activities within the industrial leasing division for its most strategic clients. Since joining Stream, Justin has consistently been a top producer in the firm and has been recognized in the Partners Club (company-wide top 10 producers) each year.

Justin is a nationally-recognized industrial real estate expert. He is consistently recognized in leading national and local real estate publications, and has earned numerous industry awards, such as Houston Business Journal’s Heavy Hitter and CoStar Power Broker.

During Justin’s real estate career, he has executed real estate transactions in excess of $1 billion and has procured the development of 18 Class A industrial assets totaling over 4 million square feet.

Christen Vestal

Director of Development & Acquisitions

Provident Realty Advisors

Christen joined Provident Realty Advisors in 2022 as the Director of Development & Acquisitions. She is

the first women Development Partner at Provident and one of the only women developers in the industrial

sector of Houston.

Christen has developed over 8 million sqft of Class A Institutional industrial facilities. She is a career

industrial developer with experience in projects that range from extremely specialized manufacturing

facilities to Speculative big box developments. Career highlights include a build-to-suit project for one of

the largest e-commerce companies in the country, speculative distributions projects ranging from 100,000

sf to as large as 1,000,000 sf buildings under one roof. Her career consists of development of over 700

acres and $1B worth of transaction value.

Christen is the 2022 RedNews Emerging Leader of the Year, RedNews Finalist for Woman of the Year

and Bisnow Developing leader for 2021. She holds an MBA from the Freeman School of Business,

Tulane University.

Christen is a mother of two and wife to a successful real estate entrepreneur. Her and her family are

members at Second Baptist Church. Christen is dedicated to giving to Sky High for Children, a very

special charity that raises money to fund cancer treatments for kids.

John Moseley

COO

Port Houston

John Moseley was named Chief Commercial Officer in 2018. He joined Port Houston in 2010, successfully leading the port’s global sales efforts until being appointed CCO. Moseley started his career in international supply chain and logistics in 1987 and has held expanding roles in the U.S. and overseas with ocean carriers and beneficial cargo owners in addition to the international freight forwarding and customs house brokerage sectors.

Moseley earned a bachelor’s degree in international business administration from California State University at Los Angeles and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Isenberg School of Management.

In his current role, he is responsible for driving and executing Port Houston’s

commercial strategy. He oversees Port Houston’s real estate, trade development, economic development, marketing & branding, and research & forecasting departments as well as administration of Harris County’s Foreign Trade Zone.

Moseley actively serves in leadership positions at the Greater Houston Partnership and the Brazil Texas Chamber of Commerce. Past contributions have included board positions at the American Institute for International Steel, Netherlands American Business Association, International Trade Club of Southern California, International Transportation Management Association of Houston and active participation in other industry organizations such as the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)

Darrell Betts

Principal, Capital Markets Group

Avison Young

Darrell L. Betts, CCIM is a Principal with the Capital Markets group of Avison Young and is in charge of the representation for dispositions of investment properties owned by financial institutions, pension funds, REIT’s and private investors. Darrell began his commercial real estate career over 30 years ago and was recruited by Avison Young in 2010 to lead the company's Capital Markets practice in Texas and the Southwest U.S. Over the past three decades, Darrell facilitated over $5 billion worth of real estate transactions.

Numerous times throughout his career, the Houston Business Journal named Betts a "Heavy Hitter of Commercial Real Estate, including 2017." Among other awards, Darrell was listed in Commercial Property News’ 2005 Hot Brokers of America and Top Producer for another leading firm for eight years. Darrell was Avison Young's 2011 top producer in the U.S. for Capital Markets and has been presented with the Circle of Excellence award recognizing the top producers globally for 2017.

Credentials

Education and Designations

Graduate Texas A&M University - Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with an emphasis in commercial real estate

State of Texas Real Estate Broker License

Of the approximately 150,000 commercial real estate practitioners nationwide, Mr. Betts is one of only 9,000 professionals (6%) who have earned the highly recognized CCIM designation through the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, an affiliate of the National Associate of Realtors.

Mr. Betts is involved in various civic affairs and is currently active in such organizations as the Houston Association of Realtors and the Houston/Gulf Coast CCIM Chapter. He has taught in the Junior Achievement Program at local high schools and is a board member of the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, TX.

Steven Ward

Managing Partner

WGA Consulting Engineers

Steven Ward began his career while still attending college at Texas A&M University. After graduating and having worked for two of the top engineering companies in the country, Mr. Ward and partner Ryan Getz set out on their own to form Ward, Getz & Associates, LLP. In 13 years, WGA has built an impressive portfolio with projects across the United States.

With over 22 years of land development experience, Mr. Ward has worked on a wide range of project types, sizes, and locations. This extensive project knowledge gives him the ability to effectively assess the specific needs of each unique project in order to deliver the highest quality of work and client satisfaction.

Nick Campbell

Moderator

Gordon Highlander

As Vice President at Gordon Highlander, Nick brings over 25 years of construction industry experience and a strong commitment to operational excellence. He oversees the DFW market, leads strategic growth initiatives, and drives client engagement with a results-oriented approach that reflects the company’s core values.

Nick has successfully delivered projects across industrial, corporate interiors, and ground-up sectors, earning a reputation for building lasting relationships with clients, trade partners, and design teams. A proud Texas A&M graduate, he is also passionate about mentoring emerging professionals and championing continuous improvement across all areas of the business.

What You'll Gain From This Port of Houston & Industrial Commercial Real Estate Event

  • What are the current headwinds and tailwinds in the Houston industrial real estate sector? 

  • What are we seeing in terms of industrial rent growth as we hit the halfway point in 2023? 

  • What is the general state of debt and equity, and how is it impacting deals?

  • Even though market fundamentals remain strong, it is still difficult to attract capital. Why is that? How are market leaders souring capital in this difficult environment? 

  • What are the key factors driving the success of the regional market? How has the pipeline, capital structure and outlook on deals changed over the past 18 months?

  • Houston’s port is critical to the national market regarding international trade constraints with constant overflow from other terminals, how has this increased port volume/TEU flow impacted portfolios and decisions?

  • Spec vs. Build-To-Suit Projects: Where is the demand? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach for investors and tenants in the Houston market?

  • Tenants influencing the build: At various stages of construction, what are the challenges to accommodate incoming tenants and their specific requirements?  

  • In comparison to other gateways/port markets, where does Houston measure up in pipeline, capital and available supply?

  • Speaking to the capital side, what are the current market dynamics including shifting values, and reading on the future of e-commerce, and how are decisions being made?

  • In terms of business parks, distribution centers and last-mile service, what has proven successful, what has been challenging and what is to come?

  • What are some of the emerging trends in last-mile logistics, and how are developers and investors positioning themselves to take advantage of these trends?

  • How will a possible recession impact e-commerce activity? What precautions should be taken? 

  • What are the challenges and opportunities in the cold-storage market for industrial real estate investors and developers?

How You'll Do More Business: Even in the midst of economic uncertainty, a recent JLL market report argues that Houston is still in a position to remain on top. The city’s growing population, active port and proximity to other prominent markets are expected to keep Houston at the forefront of industrial leasing and investment decisions. Development and investment remain strong in Bayou city, but a possible recession around the corner is keeping everyone on their toes. Join us as we discuss how the market is performing, where the activity is happening, the key to attracting capital in today’s environment, and how to gain an advantage in an active — yet uncertain — market. Enhance your business by understanding the role Houston plays in the industrial CRE industry and how investor and development activity is driving the need for industrial supply.

Who You’ll Meet: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, bankers and technology leaders. 

For questions, recommendations, or sponsorship interest please email our Director of Operations Sophie McCourt at sophie.mccourt@bisnow.com

Houston Industrial News & Projects

Venue

The Westin Houston Memorial City
945 Gessner Rd
Houston, TX 77024

Ballroom: Wisteria Ballroom (Program), Wisteria Prefunction (Networking)


$12 Event Valet//$8 Event Self-Parking/ Standard Overnight rate

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast and Networking
2:00 PM
2:20 PM
Opening Keynote With Clay Development CEO Robert Clay
2:20 PM
3:10 PM
Analyzing The Market

Sourcing Capital, Supply and Demand and Understanding Economic Conditions

3:10 PM
3:20 PM
Networking Break
3:20 PM
4:10 PM
Analyzing Opportunities In and Around The Port

Real Estate Opportunities Spurred By Increased Activity

4:10 PM
4:30 PM
Closing Networking