From Dirt to Deals

Capital, Site Strategy & What Actually Gets Delivered in Austin Industrial

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  Greg St. Clair

  Greg St. Clair is the Principal and founder of St. Clair Commercial Real Estate. He brings over 30 years of experience in all facets of commercial real estate from acquisitions, asset and property management, development, redevelopment, and dispositions. Since forming SCCR in 2016, the firm has acquired over 2 million square feet of value add opportunities deploying both high net worth private capital and institutional investments and has active ground up development projects. In addition to direct investments, SCCR has active fee asset management engagements and offers a full range of consulting services to select clients. Prior to forming SCCR, Greg St. Clair ran a very successful family office for the KFG Investment Company, owned by a noted Southern California home builder. Through his efforts the KFG portfolio of industrial, office and multi-family investments has achieved a market value in excess of $300 Million and proudly boasts strong return metrics for both realized and unrealized returns, with the bulk of the properties still owned in the portfolio today. He completed several significant 1031 exchange, coordinated up-REIT transactions to diversify KFG holdings, and was involved in a wide range of alternate investments including operating real estate companies, multi- family development companies and MLS Soccer franchises. Greg St. Clair began his business career as a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG in their banking and real estate practice, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

  St. Clair Commercial Realty

  Principal & Founder

  Greg St. Clair

  Principal & Founder

  St. Clair Commercial Realty

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  Brooke Harlander

  Brooke Harlander is Regional Partner for St. John Properties, Inc., and oversees all development activities for the company’s Texas office. St. John Properties is one of the largest privately-held commercial real estate developers in the nation. They manage site selection, acquisitions, development, design, construction, leasing, marketing, financing, and property management, all in-house. St. John Properties has developed, constructed and owns more than 22 million square feet of office, flex/research & development, retail, and warehouse space. In 2020, Harlander was recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record for her leadership and commitment to community service. She earned a degree in Law & American Civilization from Towson University, and a Masters in Real Estate and Infrastructure from Johns Hopkins University. Harlander is a member of NAIOP, the Urban Land Institute and the Real Estate Council of Austin, and currently serves on the Real Estate Alumni Network board for the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

  St. John Properties

  Regional Partner

  Brooke Harlander

  Regional Partner

  St. John Properties

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  John Colglazier

  John Colglazier, Jr. is a Partner in Partners’ San Antonio office, specializing in the lease and sale of industrial properties. John has deep experience marketing the gamut of industrial product types at the local, regional, and national level. John joined Colglazier Properties in 1996 and has specialized in the sale and leasing of all types of industrial, manufacturing and distribution products. Among John’s accolades include being honored by the San Antonio Business Journal for completing the Largest Industrial Lease of 2004 for his representation of Valero Energy Corp to open its first self-distribution facility; initiation into SIOR on its “fast track” program by exceeding sales volume requirements; representing Maruchan, Inc. in that company’s site acquisition and development for a San Antonio plant; and another recognition by the San Antonio Business Journal for Best Industrial Deal of 2013 for his role in the development of Southton Rail Yard; among other accomplishments.

  Partners

  Partner

  John Colglazier

  Partner

  Partners

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  Cody Bailey

  Cody joined the Gordon Highlander team with more than 25 years of industry experience. This experience has brought confidence and trust with new clients as he stepped into the role of Vice President for the new Central Texas office in Austin. He has built both a cohesive team and the Gordon Highlander reputation in this expanded market. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Cody holds a master’s degree in industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University. His use of industry experience and knowledge has been instrumental in growing the Central Texas market for Gordon Highlander

  Gordon Highlander

  SVP

  Moderator

  Cody Bailey

  SVP

  Gordon Highlander

The New Industrial User

Developing, Designing And Leasing for Next-Gen Occupiers

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  Carter Thurmond

  Relevant Experience As Principal Carter is responsible for industrial leasing and sourcing new development and acquisition opportunities. He is currently focused on the growth of Endeavor’s industrial presence across Central Texas. Experience Since starting in the business in 2016, Carter has completed over 500 industrial transactions in his career totaling over $350M in value. Over 4MSF of industrial leasing and $140M in industrial building and land sales. In 2024, he was selected as an Aspiring Leader by Globestreet. Education B.A. in Geography- University of Texas at Austin

  Endeavor

  Principal

  Carter Thurmond

  Principal

  Endeavor

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  Dax Benkendorfer

  Since launching his career in 2018, Dax Benkendorfer has completed over 345 transactions, leasing more than 2,000,000 square feet of industrial space. Dax oversees all aspects of site selection, design, development, asset management, leasing, and underwriting acquisitions. His expertise includes leasing and the disposition of industrial assets throughout Central Texas. With a strategic, hands-on approach and a deep understanding of market trends, he focuses on creating value-driven real estate solutions that maximize investor returns. Prior to starting his career in commercial real estate, Dax graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

  Balcones Real Estate Group

  Development & Leasing Partner

  Dax Benkendorfer

  Development & Leasing Partner

  Balcones Real Estate Group

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  Rupe Gopani

  Founder & CEO

  Blue Acre Development

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  Paul Wagner

  Paul serves as Principal of ARCO/Murray’s Central Texas-based operations, which in conjunction with the larger ARCO enterprise, will eclipsed $6B in revenue in 2023 and is the nation’s largest Warehouse and Distribution Builder. He is responsible for all aspects of the design-build process, contributing to his customers’ success through a seamless and efficient design, permitting, and construction process. Paul is currently overseeing several projects across a variety of market sectors in the Austin and San Antonio markets, including notable industrial projects – TransPak Manor Industrial Park, MDH Hwy 71 Logitics Center, Tradition 14|35 Belton Crossing, and Balcones Real Estate Group Westinghouse Business Park. As a true Austinite, Paul is a committed UT Sports fan and golf enthusiast. Outside of athletic activities, he enjoys traveling the country with his family for long weekends. Paul graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering.

  ARCO/Murray

  Principal

  Paul Wagner

  Principal

  ARCO/Murray

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  Lance Reed

  As the Director of Sales for South Texas at Cisco-Eagle, Lance Reed leads a team that specializes in material handling solutions, automation, and warehouse efficiency. In addition to managing sales and operations in South Texas, Lance oversees business development efforts across Mexico, Central America, and South America. With a deep understanding of industrial logistics and supply chain optimization, Lance works closely with companies to enhance productivity, safety, and throughput in their operations. With years of experience in the material handling industry, Lance has a strong track record of helping businesses implement strategic solutions for warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing. Cisco-Eagle focuses on integrating cutting-edge technologies such as conveyance systems, automated storage and retrieval, dynamic storage solutions and robotics to meet evolving industry demands. As the moderator for today’s BisNow panel on the Future of Houston Industrial Real Estate, Lance will guide discussions on market trends, emerging technologies, and the challenges shaping industrial spaces in one of the country’s most dynamic logistics hubs.

  Cisco Eagle

  Director of Sales

  Moderator

  Lance Reed

  Director of Sales

  Cisco Eagle

Remarks From The Podium

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  James Blackwood

  James Blackwood is the Chief Revenue Officer & Cofounder at Giraffe, a cutting-edge platform that empowers real estate developers by unifying mapping, modeling, and analytics to accelerate capital allocation. With over a decade of experience in technology advisory and leadership, James has excelled in guiding traditional enterprises through complex data transformations, optimizing operations, and driving strategic growth in the real estate and urban development sectors. His advisory expertise spans consulting on digital strategies for site selection, feasibility analysis, and workflow automation, where he has helped organizations leverage emerging technologies to make informed, data-driven decisions. As a leader, James has built and scaled high-performing teams, fostering innovation and collaboration to deliver measurable business outcomes. In the last five years at Giraffe, James has focused extensively on partnering with developers to integrate automation and AI into developers workflows. He has led initiatives that automate repetitive tasks, enhance predictive modeling, and incorporate AI-driven insights for real-time metrics and generative design. These efforts have enabled developers to reduce project timelines from weeks to hours, improve data discoverability, and operate development teams more efficiently.

  Giraffe

  Chief Revenue Officer

  James Blackwood

  Chief Revenue Officer

  Giraffe