Yesterday, the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers gathered for lunch at the Rosewood Restaurant  to mull over how economic change has brought supply chain concerns into the C-Suite. Newmark Knight Frank's Doug Karmel  and Robert Hess, flanking Stanton Creek Properties' George Schweneker, say they're doing more manufacturing than distribution deals. Robert says industrial brokers should be aware of all the ways freight is entering the country—He recently did a deal in Houston because a client wanted to be able to bring cargo from the  Panama Canal to the central United States.

Labor and proximity to the railroad   are two important factors in locating your warehouse, say Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' Rick Blasgen, CH Robinson's Jason Chamberlain, and BNSF Railway's Eric Pitcher. Having a workforce that is within driving distance and willing to work warehouse or manufacturing jobs is critical, Jason says. Eric points out that railroads are now looking to find the most deals rather than the biggest, and that some real estate owners were asking for their own rail spurs so they could more easily access rail freight. (Even worse, that friend who always beats you at Monopoly has even more reason to boast when they land on Reading Railroad.)