The Future of Cold Storage

Deciphering how evolving design and, demand and supply chain shifts for new developments

• 

  Josh Lewis

  COO

  RL Cold

• 

  Joseph Paskov

  Joseph Paskov is a Principal on BGO’s U.S. Investments Team. Joseph is responsible for the sourcing and execution of new investment opportunities on behalf of all BGO clients, and has closed on over $2 billion of investment activity throughout his tenure at the Firm. Joseph leads the Firm’s SFR / BTR strategy in the U.S., co-leads the Firm’s distressed credit and non-performing loan strategy in the U.S., and is also responsible for the Firm’s investment activity across the Southeast and the Midwest. Joseph has been with BGO since 2016 and has over 12 years of experience in the real estate industry. Joseph also serves as a guest lecturer for the University of Wisconsin Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics. Joseph is a Certified Public Accountant. Joseph graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accountancy, was an academic scholarship recipient, recipient of the Most Outstanding Teaching award, and a member of the Dean’s List.

  BGO

  Principal, Investments

  Joseph Paskov

  Principal, Investments

  BGO

• 

  Sean Gilbert

  Sean Gilbert, as Principal, spearheads the origination, evaluation and closing activities for all of Saxum’s acquisition and joint venture opportunities. Sean continues to focus on the growth of the acquisitions platform to support new asset class and new geographic strategies for the firm. Since joining Saxum shortly after its founding, Sean has been instrumental in the growth of the portfolio to include a variety of different asset classes including cold storage, industrial, multifamily and student housing. Sean has led the start and expansion of Saxum’s cold storage platform, which now totals over 3M SF nationally and is recognized among the most active cold storage development platforms in the U.S. Prior to joining Saxum, Sean worked in the real estate investment banking group at Hammond Hanlon Camp LLC (“H2C”) where he successfully completed over $1 billion in real estate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, single asset and portfolio dispositions, sale/leasebacks and institutional capital raises. Sean was recently selected among Globe Street’s 2023 50 under 40 list. Sean is a graduate of Columbia University with an M.S. in Real Estate Development and Providence College with a B.S. in Finance. Sean is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (“YPO”), as well as a NAIOP member, currently serving as the Co-Chair of the ICON Cold Storage Conference.

  Saxum Real Estate

  Principal, Acquisitions

  Sean Gilbert

  Principal, Acquisitions

  Saxum Real Estate

• 

  Gregory Camp

  Greg is the Vice President of Project Development for FCL’s national cold storage practice. In this capacity, he partners with prospective customers and clients looking to expand and innovate their cold chain infrastructure to achieve greater business and societal impact. He brings to the role over 25 years of food & beverage industry and construction management experience, including extensive technical expertise in industrial refrigerated environments. Greg has traveled nationally and internationally working with leading developers and national food & beverage brands on the design/build of state-of-the-art cold storage projects. What matters most to Greg is establishing collaboration, transparency, and trust around all sides of the table with the goal of delivering turnkey facilities that exceed expectations while driving business results and the life-cycle partnerships that continue to feed the world

  FCL

  Vice President of Project Development, National Cold

  Gregory Camp

  Vice President of Project Development, National Cold

  FCL

• 

  Kevin Kelly

  Kevin Kelly is a core member of the CBRE National Food Facilities Group, specializing in industrial food facilities worldwide. While most industrial real estate brokers are focused on a submarket within a single metropolitan area, Kevin and his partners, David Sours and Lucy Durbin, focus on the narrow band of industrial real estate that serves the food processing, manufacturing, and distribution industry. The team’s high level of specialization and expertise within the food sector has allowed the group to deliver superior advisory service in accommodating its clients’ unique real estate needs on both a transactional level as well as a high-level strategic basis. Kevin’s clients include some of the largest companies in the food processing, food service, grocery, and cold storage industries, in addition to many smaller food companies globally. Leveraging experience, expertise, resources, and national market coverage, Kevin serves as a strategic partner for his clients in handling their complex real estate needs worldwide.

  CBRE

  SVP, National Food Facilities Group

  Kevin Kelly

  SVP, National Food Facilities Group

  CBRE

• 

  Edward Piscopo

  Ed Piscopo brings over 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate, utility, and related industries, establishing himself as a trusted leader and strategist. As Director of Energy Solutions at Madison Energy Infrastructure (MEI), Ed plays a pivotal role in advancing the company’s mission to become a premier clean energy investment platform. His expertise helps drive high-impact opportunities for partners and clients, ensuring sustainable results that are both innovative and impactful. At MEI, Ed helps lead the charge in the development, financing, and long-term management of clean energy projects. With a portfolio that includes over 700 Megawatts of assets across more than 29 states, the company’s commitment to delivering certainty, speed, and trust in clean energy solutions is underscored by Ed's leadership. His ability to navigate complex challenges and simplify the transition to clean energy is central to the company’s ongoing success and growth. Throughout his career, Ed has held several Board positions with local and regional utility, commercial real estate, and charitable organizations, further cementing his reputation as a respected executive and trusted partner to clients, colleagues, and project stakeholders. With a track record of successfully executing hundreds of projects, Ed remains focused on achieving meaningful, measurable results that exceed expectations and drive positive change in the clean energy sector.

  Madison Energy Infastructure

  Director of Energy Solutions

  Moderator

  Edward Piscopo

  Director of Energy Solutions

  Madison Energy Infastructure

Unlocking Self Storage Growth

Overcoming municipal zoning and entitlement roadblocks and identifying investment opportunities

• 

  Katharine Lau

  Katharine Lau is CEO and Co-Founder of Stuf, one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2022. She was named to Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 100 list in the same year. Katharine is passionate about reinventing consumer experiences in the physical world and leads the company’s strategic vision and overall strategy in transforming the self-storage industry. From 2015-2020, Katharine led supply growth at Industrious, the nation’s largest premium shared workplace provider. She built and managed a 20+ person team and oversaw the company’s rapid expansion while developing go-to-market strategies for new digital products and tenant experience services. As VP of Real Estate, Katharine pioneered an "industry first” asset and liability-light growth strategy leading to CBRE’s partial acquisition of Industrious in early 2021. Prior to Industrious, Katharine worked at Equinox as Manager of Development, supporting the company’s national expansion of luxury fitness clubs. She previously worked at L&L Holding Company and PGIM Real Estate (Prudential).

  Stuf Storage

  CEO & Co-Founder

  Katharine Lau

  CEO & Co-Founder

  Stuf Storage

• 

  Robert Fransen

  Mr. Fransen serves as Coro’s President. In this capacity, he is responsible for Coro's acquisitions, dispositions and financing activities, as well as overseeing its strategy and investment management. From 2010 to 2017, Mr. Fransen served as Coro’s Chief Investment Officer. Prior to joining Coro in 2010, Mr. Fransen was President, North American Operations of the Slokker Group, headquartered in Washington, DC. There he oversaw commercial, residential and specialty properties in 13 U.S states and Canadian provinces. Mr. Fransen previously served as legal counsel at Baker Botts LLP and Battle Fowler LLP. Mr. Fransen received a B.A. from the University of Virginia, a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Fransen is a member of International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute and Midtown Alliance, a director of the Buckhead Coalition, and board member of Central Atlanta Progress.

  Coro Realty

  President

  Robert Fransen

  President

  Coro Realty

• 

  Donnie Berry

  Self Storage Capital Markets Industry Specialist

• 

  Patrick McAllister

  Patrick McCallister is a seasoned leader in the steel construction and prefabricated storage building industry, with 15+ years of hands-on experience managing complex projects and driving business growth. As Partner and CEO of Storage Building Company, LLC, based in Bradenton, Florida, he oversees operations, strategy, and client relations for a company known for its high-quality metal building solutions within the self storage industry. Throughout his career, Patrick has held key roles in project management, estimating, product development, and business development at companies including SS|20 Building Systems, Trident Building Systems, Crystal Steel Fabricators, and GMF Steel Group. His deep industry knowledge, practical problem-solving, and passion for building better infrastructure have made him a trusted voice in the field. Whether he’s leading teams, developing innovative building systems, or sharing insights at industry events, Patrick brings a straightforward, results-driven approach to every challenge.

  Storage Building Company

  Partner & CEO

  Patrick McAllister

  Partner & CEO

  Storage Building Company

• 

  Cono Passione

  Cono Passione oversees the project management and field operations teams at Rycon’s Atlanta office, guiding projects from preconstruction through closeout with 16 years of industry experience. His diverse portfolio includes work in education, food service, commercial, retail, and self-storage sectors. Rycon has completed over $450M in self-storage projects across 15 states, leveraging expertise in construction management, general contracting, and design-build services. Cono plays a key role in advancing self-storage initiatives, including ground-up construction, renovations, and adaptive re-use projects. A graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology, Cono began his career as a project manager before joining Rycon’s Pittsburgh office in 2014. He progressed through roles such as Project Manager and Director of Special Projects before relocating to Atlanta in 2021, where he serves as Vice President.

  Rycon Construction

  Vice President of Project Management, Atlanta

  Cono Passione

  Vice President of Project Management, Atlanta

  Rycon Construction

• 

  Scott Zucker

  Scott Zucker is a founding partner in the Atlanta law firm of Weissmann Zucker Euster + Katz, P.C. and has been practicing law since 1987. Scott represents self storage owners and managers throughout the country on legal matters including property development, facility construction, lease preparation, employment policies and tenant claims defense. Scott is outside counsel to the national Self Storage Association, legal counsel to a number of State self storage associations including the Georgia Self Storage Association, a frequent lecturer at national self storage conventions and is a contributing legal writer for self-storage trade magazines such as the Mini- Storage Messenger, Inside Self Storage and SSA Magazine. Scott is the author of “Legal Topics in Self Storage”, a two volume guidebook to self storage development and operations and a partner in the Self Storage Legal Network, a subscription based legal information service for self storage owners and managers.

  Weissman, Zucker Euster + Katz

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Scott Zucker

  Shareholder

  Weissman, Zucker Euster + Katz

Maximizing Returns in the Industrial Outdoor Storage Ecosystem

Best practices in overcoming financial hurdles, cap rate compression, zoning hurdles and NIMBYISM sentiment

• 

  Rob Logan

  Rob Logan, Principal, oversees all acquisitions and capital markets efforts at B&D Holdings. During his tenure, the firm has completed over 100 acquisitions across the nation and various recapitalizations of existing portfolio assets. He began his career at ICAP working in structured credit products for nine years, before transitioning into the commercial real estate industry with roles on the capital markets advisory team at G.S. Wilcox & Co. and the New York City based debt capital markets team at Newmark Knight Frank. He has a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College in Economics and Latin American Studies and earned a Masters in Real Estate from New York University.

  B&D Holdings

  Principal

  Rob Logan

  Principal

  B&D Holdings

• 

  Ryan Battistoni

  Ryan Battistoni is a Founding Partner of Timber Hill Group, where he serves as Chief Operating Officer as well as the head of the firm’s asset management and development divisions. He has over 15 years of experience in industrial real estate, and during his career he has completed more than $400 million in development and construction projects and has been responsible for overseeing portfolios valued at more than $1.2 billion across the U.S. Since its creation in 2018, Timber Hill Group has focused primarily on the purchase and development of logistics-centered industrial service facilities across the United States. Prior to 2019, Mr. Battistoni oversaw national portfolio operations for Sitex Group, a New York-based private equity real estate firm with assets in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Los Angeles. He began his career with Colliers international, where he played an integral role in the management of several large institutional industrial portfolios in the Chicagoland area. Mt. Battistoni is a graduate of Marquette University, where he received an undergraduate degree in Finance. He resides in Downers Grove, IL with his wife and three children.

  Timber Hill

  Founding Partner & COO

  Ryan Battistoni

  Founding Partner & COO

  Timber Hill

• 

  J.D. Salazar

  JD Salazar is the Chief Executive Officer of Champion, responsible for the sourcing and acquiring opportunities for the Company throughout major consumption zones and transportation centers in the United States. JD founded Champion in 1997, which went on to become one of the most successful 100% Hispanic owned commercial real estate brokerage companies in the US. JD's career in real estate spans 38 years and includes involvement in over 20 million square feet of industrial lease and sale transactions, and the development of four major Class A business parks in the Chicago Area. JD has extensive experience in sourcing and acquiring transportation related properties and outdoor storage properties. Prior to re­ branding Champion into an Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) acquisition, development and management company, JD was one of the two founding members of Industrial Outdoor Ventures (“IOV”). At IOV, JD was a member of the investment Committee and one of five members of the Board of Directors, While at IOV, JD sourced over 50% of the company's acquisitions. In 2019 JD guided Champion into a strategic investment relationship with Timber Hill Group (“THG”). Since then, Champion and THG have invested over $500,000,000 in IOS properties in Miami FL, Jacksonville FL, Memphis TN, Dallas, Ft. Worth and Laredo TX. Investments include managed truck parking yards, fleet yards, container yards, freight terminals and transload facilities. JD is a member of the Warehouse Education and Research Council ("WERC") and The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals ("CSCMP”). JD has been involved in urban and international Christian Missionary outreach. Outreach that includes operational and financial support for homeless non-profits in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, The Deborah House Project in Timisoara Romania, Stephens Children in Cairo Egypt and Musalaha in the West Bank of Israel. JD earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Energy and Power Systems from the University of New Mexico. JD also earned an MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He is married co Carol Rediehs and lives in Burr Ridge, IL

  Champion Realty Advisors

  CEO

  J.D. Salazar

  CEO

  Champion Realty Advisors

• 

  Sanjay Raghavaraju

  Founder & CEO

  33 Holdings

• 

  Ryan Meehan

  Ryan Meehan serves as a Senior Vice President for Stonemont Financial Group, responsible for leading the firm’s acquisition initiatives and Industrial Outdoor Storage platform. Throughout his nearly 20-year career, Ryan has experience across multiple private equity real estate disciplines including acquisitions, dispositions, portfolio management, debt placement, leasing, asset management and accounting. Mr. Meehan has been involved in the capitalization of over $2.5 billion of direct commercial real estate investments and has led the asset management and strategic oversight of over $3.5 billion of commercial product. Ryan’s experience spans multiple product types across primary, secondary, and tertiary markets nationally on behalf of international and U.S.-based institutional capital sources. Prior to Stonemont, Ryan was a Director at Rialto Capital Management within its equity investment group where he led various sourcing, execution, and asset management responsibilities for the firm’s opportunistic and value-add investing strategies. Mr. Meehan earned his B.S. in Accounting from Oglethorpe University.

  Stonemont Financial Group

  SVP of Acquisitions/ISF

  Ryan Meehan

  SVP of Acquisitions/ISF

  Stonemont Financial Group

• Moderator

  Justin Horowitz

  Debt & Equity Broker

  Cooper Horowitz

Remarks

• 

  Raj Sheth

  Raj’s broad career spans over 30 years in Private Equity, Commercial Real Estate Investments and Development, Investment Banking, Hedge Fund Management, Strategy Consulting, and Executive Education. He has developed a strong and significant track record as a disciplined investor over the past forty (40) years. During his 18 years in Self Storage, Raj’s average realized return on projects has been a 39% IRR. Average Equity Multiple has been 3.0x. Raj’s company is among the Top 50 self storage owner/operators in the country with more than $500M of Assets Under Management (AUM). Previously, Raj was a Founder and Managing Director for Insight Capital Management, LLC, a hedge fund. During Raj’s tenure the fund achieved returns of 107% in just four years. The Fund was focused on investing in stocks of publicly held companies whose businesses are durable, financially secure and selling at deep discounts to their intrinsic values. Prior to his current activities, Raj worked at InCore (the Institute for Communications Research & Education), a strategy consulting and mergers and acquisitions advisory firm. Through InCore, Raj worked for numerous companies including AT&T, Sprint, Con Edison, Motorola, Southern California Edison, Telecom Italia, Wipro and others. Raj earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois, and his MBA (concentration in Marketing and Finance) with Honors from the University of Southern California. He serves as a Board Member of the Sheth Education Foundation. He is a member of REIAC: Real Estate Investment Advisory Council in Atlanta and is also a Charter Member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE-Atlanta) where he served as Treasurer in 2007. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Self Storage Association for two years. He resides with his wife and has three adult children. Raj is an avid traveler and has visited 60 countries throughout his lifetime.

  Boardwalk Development Group

  CEO

  Raj Sheth

  CEO

  Boardwalk Development Group