RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CA -- What may have been viewed as a “leap of faith” one year ago when First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. acquired a vacant 356,000 square foot building in Rancho Dominguez, CA for conversion to modern logistics use has been quickly validated with the announcement that DHL/Exel, Inc. has leased the new facility.

    David Prior, SIOR, president in The Klabin Company’s Torrance, CA office, reports that DHL/Exel, Inc. leased and occupied the re-configured 213,544 square foot building located on 14.5 acres of land at 3015 Ana St. immediately after recent completion.

    David Bales, Frank Schulz and Todd Taugner, SIOR, of the Klabin firm, represented First Industrial and DHL/Exel. Consideration for the five-year lease was $12.9 million.

    DHL/Exel designs and implements innovative contract logistics solutions for market-leading companies in a wide range of industries, according to its web site. As a leader in contract logistics and supply chain management, DHL/Exel serves the automotive, chemical, consumer, industrial, life sciences, retail and technology industries. DHL/Exel will employ approximately 100 people at the site.

    “When we sold the building to First Industrial a year ago, we provided them with a redevelopment concept focusing on a port-related logistics center with a tremendous amount of dock high loading, and a yard to store and stage trailers for transloading. We foresaw the mounting need for logistics facilities in the South Bay, and our advice to First Industrial helped create a product that was leased upon completion,” Taugner said.

    In converting the Rancho Dominguez building, First Industrial demolished 150,000 square feet of the existing building and created a 213,000 square foot facility that features 55 dock high loading positions, 20-foot minimum interior clearance, and 5.7 acres of additional land for container storage, and two Union Pacific rail spurs.

    About The Klabin Company

    Now in its fifth decade, The Klabin Company is ranked among the top 20 commercial real estate companies based in Los Angeles. The firm has offices in Los Angeles and Torrance, and is affiliated with CORFAC International.

    CORFAC International is one of the largest commercial real estate services organizations in the world. CORFAC is comprised of privately-held entrepreneurial firms serving 150 markets in The Americas and internationally through its King Sturge CORFAC International alliance. Last year, CORFAC partner firms completed 10,951 commercial real estate transactions worldwide, encompassing a billion square feet and valued at $24.5 billion.

    About First Industrial Realty Trust

    First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) is the nation’s largest provider of diversified industrial real estate. The company leases, develops, redevelops, buys, sells and manages industrial facilities in the nation’s top 25 industrial markets.