SIOR hosts seventh London luncheon

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) held its seventh London Luncheon event as part of the SIOR Luncheon Series at the Oriental Club in London, UK, on Thursday, January 28th. More than 45 of Europe's leading industrial and office real estate agents attended the event. Featured speaker Richard Thompson, head of Global Supply Chain Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle, discussed the current state of the world's supply chain and how it is going to change in the next few years. Thompson stressed the bright future for rail, especially if fuel prices increase. He also noted that Warren Buffet in the U.S. and Bill Gates in Canada had doubled down their bets with heavy railroad company investments. Lynn Reich, SIOR president, remarked, "Thompson pointed out that many trucking companies had gone out of business in the downturn, resulting in an anticipated trucking shortage during the recovery. This shortage will be a challenge for many of our clients as they try to cut costs in their supply chains." Reich also pointed out that "the commercial real estate industry continues to expand globally, and SIOR's increasing presence through international events such as the London Luncheon Series provides SIOR members with timely and relevant global marketplace information creating a platform to meet clients' needs worldwide through its expanding network of international transaction professionals."