Category: Spotlight Content

The New England Real Estate Journal is pleased to present Industrial Review 2026, a special publication highlighting the people, projects and properties shaping New England’s industrial real estate market.

What challenges or opportunities have had the biggest impact on your business during the first half of 2026? The biggest challenge is aligning project demand with available infrastructure and predictable approval timelines.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? As e-commerce grows and more light and specialized manufacturing moves into Western Massachusetts, industrial demand continues to evolve. Between the I-90/I-91 corridor, workforce availability, and competitive utility costs in many communities, our region has become increasingly attractive.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? Buyers are increasingly hyper focused on short-term leaseability and rent roll security.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? Several market factors are influencing industrial development. One of the biggest challenges is electrical power availability.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? In New England, standard speculative “big-box” warehousing has cooled, giving way to an aggressive flight to quality. We aren’t just building shells; we are integrating complex, infrastructure heavy industrial needs directly into the initial envelope.

What trends or shifts have stood out most to you so far this year within your industry? The sales market remains the bright spot. Demand for industrial properties for purchase remains steady, particularly among owner-users seeking buildings below approximately 30,000 s/f.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? The industrial real estate market in RI and SE Massachusetts still has a lower inventory of industrial spaces and buildings available, with a vacancy rate of 4% to 5% which is lower than the national average.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? We specialize in the Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) real estate asset class. Institutional buyers have pulled way back from their cowboy nature a few years ago.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? The industrial and commercial construction market continues to prioritize efficiency, schedule certainty, and cost control. Owners and general contractors are looking for trade partners who can adapt to evolving project requirements while maintaining quality and meeting demanding schedules.

Milford, NH Hitchiner Manufacturing partnered with PROCON to design and construct a new 57,000 s/f Shared Services Operations Facility at its Elm Street Campus. Completed in August 2025, the project represents another significant investment in advanced manufacturing, strengthening Hitchiner’s operational capabilities

Walpole, MA Conveniently located in Walpole, just 30 minutes from Boston, The Car Barn provides New England’s finest storage, detailing, and sales services for antique, collectable and historically significant vehicles. Housed in a new 30,000 s/f two-story pre-engineered metal building,