Phoenix's Industrial Leadership: Navigating Investment Opportunities in 2025

Exploring how Phoenix’s nation-leading industrial development offers value and growth potential amid a cooling construction market and stabilizing transactions

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  Chuck Carefoot

  A key player in the Southwest Region’s growth during the past 15 years, Chuck now serves as the region’s leader. As President of the Southwest Region, he oversees team members from all of Ryan’s services and works closely with the entire regional leadership team to purposefully grow the region in concert with the company’s strategic direction. Chuck is also responsible for developing strong, productive relationships with partners and market players across the spectrum. He brings 25 years and over 25 million square feet of project experience—all at Ryan—to his new role, including deep expertise in design, development, construction management and leadership. Under his guidance, the Southwest Region supported Ryan’s expansion into the West, Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regions— forming the Western Division and growing the Southwest Region from $100M to more than $800M in the entire division. Each of those new regions were staffed and led in part by Chuck’s trained construction teams, while he held direct responsibility for each of those teams until the regional offices were formally established. He has a reputation for leading with integrity and trust.

  Ryan Companies

  President of Southwest Region

  Chuck Carefoot

  President of Southwest Region

  Ryan Companies

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  Kevin Miller

  Kevin brings over 20 years of diverse experience in real estate investment and development, spanning industrial, mulƟfamily, retail, self storage and office projects. He leads Kitchell’s Arizona market efforts, driving large‐scale, ground‐up developments that shape communities across the Valley. Previously, Kevin served as Chief Investment Officer for a private family office, managing a diverse porƞolio, managing acquisiƟons, developments, and leasing operaƟons. His career also includes leadership roles at Capital Commercial Investments, Banc One Capital Markets, and Arthur Andersen. An Arizona State University graduate and alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Real Estate Management Program, Kevin’s impact extends beyond the industry. He is an active member of NAIOP, ICSC, and Valley Partnership, and was named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” for his leadership and community contributions.

  Kitchell

  VP, Development

  Kevin Miller

  VP, Development

  Kitchell

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  John DiVall

  John DiVall is Panattoni Development Company’s Partner for the Phoenix market. As a partner, John will be responsible for all aspects of development of industrial, office, and retail projects, as well as the supervision of staff personnel within the region. In addition, he will oversee all phases of real estate development of commercial real estate projects. Prior to joining Panattoni, John served as the principal and regional head of acquisitions and leasing for Exeter Property Group after a 20 year tenure with Liberty Property Trust. Other positions include Senior Vice President for Liberty Property Trust and Senior Vice President of real estate development for Ryan Companies US, Inc. John has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, as well as more than $2 billion in commercial transactions. John has served on NAIOP’s corporate board of directors, as an Arizona NAIOP board member, on the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), and on the Arizona Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He was named Developer of the Year in 2014 and 2016 by the Arizona NAIOP.

  Panattoni Development Company

  Partner

  John DiVall

  Partner

  Panattoni Development Company

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  Molly Hunt

  Molly Hunt is a Director and Investment Sales Broker on one of the nation’s top-performing Industrial Capital Markets teams at Cushman & Wakefield. A leading force in the Phoenix commercial real estate market, she specializes in advising institutional investors on the acquisition and disposition of industrial assets across Arizona and the broader Mountain West. Since joining Cushman & Wakefield, Molly has executed over $4.9 billion in transactions, totaling more than 48 million square feet of industrial investment sales. With a deep understanding of investment sales trends, she plays a key role in executing high-profile transactions and shaping market strategy.

  Cushman & Wakefield

  Director, Investment Sales Broker

  Molly Hunt

  Director, Investment Sales Broker

  Cushman & Wakefield

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  Linda Bruce

  With nearly two decades of experience in the commercial real estate industry, Linda Bruce has become a trusted name for both clients and colleagues alike. Known for her unwavering passion for people and exceptional client service, Linda’s foundation of her success has been centered around the client experience and exceeding expectations. Linda’s belief is simple, yet powerful: People come first. Her relentless determination, hands-on approach, combined with a talent for building long lasting relationships, have earned her the respect, trust, and loyalty of clients across the Commercial Real Estate industry and a successful Top Producing track record. With an eye for detail and inherent drive to help others succeed, Linda continues to prove that exceptional service is not just about closing deals—it’s about building lasting partnerships. Linda is an active member of ULI, WLI, AZ CREW, NAIOP and CCIM.

  Kensington Vanguard National Title

  VP

  Moderator

  Linda Bruce

  VP

  Kensington Vanguard National Title

Adapting to Demand: Innovations in Industrial Space Design and Utilization

How developers and tenants are rethinking industrial spaces to meet evolving end-user needs

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  Todd Gooding

  Mr. Gooding has 34 years of commercial real estate experience, 27 of them with SKB where he is credited with developing the firm’s “value-add/opportunistic” acquisition platform. He was named a principal in 2002 and president and chief investment officer in 2006. During his tenure at SKB, Mr. Gooding initiated some $5.6 billion of acquisitions, and concomitant debt placements and restructuring, and he serves as a member of the SKB Investment Committee. He was also responsible for initially sourcing and maintaining SKB’s institutional capital partner relationships. He started his real estate career as a licensed real estate appraiser with then CB Commercial, Inc. Prior to joining SKB in 1996, he served as vice president of acquisitions for G.E. Capital Investment Advisors and senior real estate analyst with CB Commercial, Inc. in San Francisco. In these capacities, he underwrote over $500 million of commercial real estate investments for clients such as General Motors retirement funds, CalPers and the AT&T Master Pension Trust. Mr. Gooding is a member of ULI, ICSC, and an Advisory Board member for The Center of Securities Analysis at the University of Oregon. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Oregon.

  SKB

  President

  Todd Gooding

  President

  SKB

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  Austin White

  Austin White is Senior Vice President, Investments. In this role he is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, debt origination, and reporting for acquisitions, and due diligence & strategic oversight of development projects. Prior to joining the firm, Austin worked for Terreno Realty Corporation (NYSE: TRNO), where he gained significant experience in acquisitions and asset management of industrial properties. Prior to Terreno, Austin worked at HFF, Inc (now JLL). Outside of work, Austin enjoys traveling, outdoor sports and spending time with family.

  Rectangle Group

  SVP

  Austin White

  SVP

  Rectangle Group

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  Darryn Jones

  As a Market Executive with nearly 14 years of experience, Darryn is focused on problem solving, making use of his experience to anticipate needs, and searching for opportunities to develop strategic partnerships to deliver value Mortenson’s customers. Darryn is responsible for setting the strategy for the development of healthcare, industrial, and mission critical assets for Mortenson’s Phoenix Office. Darryn previously served as the Vice President of Emerging Technologies at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, where he was responsible for bringing projects to the market that delivered over $600M in capital investment and over 3,000 jobs. A native of Baltimore, Darryn received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Johns Hopkins University, where he was a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar.

  Mortenson

  Business Development Executive

  Darryn Jones

  Business Development Executive

  Mortenson

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  Tonya Lively

  As Vice President of Escrow & Sales Operations at Commonwealth Land Title National Commercial Services, Tonya Lively utilizes her 20 plus years of Escrow experience to provide the best in class closing services to clients in Arizona and across the country. Her leadership has resulted in increased market share through providing education and data-based knowledge to both her escrow and sales staff but also to her clients.

  Commonwealth Land Title

  VP

  Moderator

  Tonya Lively

  VP

  Commonwealth Land Title

Powering Phoenix's Industrial Growth: Expansion, Utilities, and Policy Changes

Exploring workforce development, resource availability, and regulatory updates driving the future of Phoenix's industrial sector

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  Nicholas Ilagan

  Co-Founder & Managing Partner

  DIV Industrial

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  Alex Boles

  As Managing Director Alex leads the Development Team in all efforts in the Phoenix market. His responsibilities include sourcing investments, due diligence, acquisition, and creation and execution of development business plans. Alex oversees all points in the development process from initial concept and site selection through construction and, ultimately disposition. During his time at ViaWest he has developed over 4 MM square feet of industrial product, one retail build-to-suit, and played a key role in +/- 1.5M SF of value-add office and industrial projects. In addition, he has a background in multifamily and single-family residential projects with 12+ years of real estate investment, development, and construction management experience. He earned a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in economics from Middle Tennessee State University as well as a Masters of Real Estate Development from Arizona State University (graduated Beta Gamma Sigma). He is involved with NAIOP and ULI. Originally from Nashville, TN, he now resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Ellen and two sons (Brooks and Lucas).

  ViaWest Group

  Managing Director

  Alex Boles

  Managing Director

  ViaWest Group

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  Cooper Sutherland

  Cooper Sutherland is responsible for Schnitzer Properties’ Acquisitions & Development in Phoenix, Ariz. Prior to joining Schnitzer Properties in 2022, he held various management positions over a 20-year career in development, acquisition, asset management, and leasing. Sutherland has an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and is a licensed Arizona real estate broker. He served as co-chairman on the 2010-2011 NAIOP Night at The Fights and was one of the founding members of the Steering Committee for the Developing Leaders for NAIOP in Arizona. He also served on the Executive Council for the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix.

  Schnitzer Properties

  VP

  Cooper Sutherland

  VP

  Schnitzer Properties

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  Jeff Dalton

  Jeff joined FCL Builders in 2021 with over 30 years of experience in the industry. His responsibilities include Business Development as well as Pre-Construction, where he establishes relationships for FCL Builders in Arizona and the Southwest and procures new business for the region.

  FCL Builders

  VP

  Jeff Dalton

  VP

  FCL Builders

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  Braden Blake

  As Director of Architecture at Ware Malcomb, Braden is responsible for overseeing the growth of the industrial and advanced manufacturing practices in the firm’s Phoenix office. Braden has been heavily involved in the industry since 2007 and currently serves as design executive for the firm’s most complex national project deliveries. Braden is a two-time graduate of The Design School at Arizona State University, holds architectural licenses in five states, and serves as a mentor for aspiring professionals within his firm. He sits on the Arizona board of directors for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is an active member of NAIOP and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

  Ware Malcomb

  Director, Architecture

  Moderator

  Braden Blake

  Director, Architecture

  Ware Malcomb