UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

(Mark one)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

OR

For the transition period from            to            

Commission File Number 001-33201 (DCT Industrial Trust Inc.) 333-195185 (DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP)

 

DCT INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC.

DCT INDUSTRIAL OPERATING PARTNERSHIP LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

(303) 597-2400

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code

 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None  

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

DCT Industrial Trust Inc.:

 

DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP:

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨     No  x

 

As of June 30, 2014, the aggregate market value of the 81.2 million shares of voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. was $2.7 billion based on the closing sale price of $32.84 as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2014. (For this computation, DCT Industrial Trust Inc. has excluded the market value of all shares of common stock reported as beneficially owned by executive officers and directors of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.; such exclusion shall not be deemed to constitute an admission that any such person is an affiliate of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.) As of February 12, 2015 there were 88,228,261 shares of common stock outstanding. There is no public trading market for the common units of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP.  As a result, the aggregate market value of the common units held by non-affiliates of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP cannot be determined.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s definitive proxy statement to be issued in conjunction with DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s annual meeting of stockholders to be held April 29, 2015 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report.

 

 

 

 

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., a Maryland corporation, and DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, a Delaware limited partnership. Except as otherwise indicated herein, the terms “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and its subsidiaries, including its operating partnership, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP. When we use the term “DCT,” we are referring to DCT Industrial Trust Inc. by itself, and not including any of its subsidiaries, and when we use the term the “Operating Partnership,” we are referring to DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP by itself, and not including any of its subsidiaries.

We are a leading industrial real estate company specializing in the acquisition, development, leasing and management of bulk distribution and light industrial properties located in high-volume distribution markets in the United States. DCT has elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are structured as an umbrella partnership REIT under which substantially all of our current and future business is, and will be, conducted through a majority owned and controlled subsidiary, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, a Delaware limited partnership, for which DCT is the sole general partner. We own our properties through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2014, DCT owned approximately 95.4% of the outstanding equity interests in the Operating Partnership.

We operate DCT and the Operating Partnership as one enterprise. The management of DCT consists of the same members as the management of the Operating Partnership. As general partner with control of the Operating Partnership, DCT consolidates the Operating Partnership for financial reporting purposes. DCT does not have significant assets other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of DCT and the Operating Partnership are the same on their respective financial statements.

We believe combining the periodic reports on Form 10-K of DCT and the Operating Partnership into this single report results in the following benefits:

We believe it is important to understand the few differences between DCT and the Operating Partnership in the context of how we operate as an interrelated consolidated company. DCT’s only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests in the Operating Partnership. As a result, DCT does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and issuing public equity. DCT itself has not issued any debt, but guarantees the unsecured debt of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership holds substantially all the assets of the business and conducts the operations of the business. Except for net proceeds from equity issuances by DCT, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership, the Operating Partnership generates capital through its operations, its borrowings and the issuance of partnership units to third parties.

Stockholders’ equity, partners’ capital and noncontrolling interests are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of DCT and those of the Operating Partnership. Equity interests in the Operating Partnership held by entities other than DCT are classified within partners’ capital in the Operating Partnership’s financial statements and as noncontrolling interests in DCT’s financial statements. Equity interests of 4.6% of the Operating Partnership were owned by executives and non-affiliated limited partners as of December 31, 2014.

To help investors understand the differences between DCT and the Operating Partnership, this report provides separate consolidated financial statements for DCT and the Operating Partnership; a single set of consolidated notes to such financial statements that includes separate discussions of each entity’s stockholders’ equity or partners’ capital, as applicable; and a combined Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section that includes distinct information related to each entity.

This report also includes separate Part II, Item 9A. Controls and Procedures sections and separate Exhibits 31 and 32 certifications for DCT and the Operating Partnership in order to establish that the requisite certifications have been made and that DCT and the Operating Partnership are both compliant with Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. §1350.

 

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DCT INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

DCT INDUSTRIAL OPERATING PARTNERSHIP LP AND SUBSIDIARIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

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REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

On November 17, 2014, we completed a one-for-four reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding common stock and a corresponding reverse split of the partnership interests of the Operating Partnership.  The number of authorized shares and the par value of the common stock were not changed.  All common stock/unit and per share/unit data for all periods presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been restated to give effect to the reverse stock split.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We make statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation:

In addition, our current and continuing qualification as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, and depends on our ability to meet the various requirements imposed by the Code through actual operating results, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership.

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We assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reader should carefully review our financial statements and the notes thereto, as well as the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

PART I

 

The Company

DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is a leading industrial real estate company specializing in the acquisition, development, leasing and management of bulk distribution and light industrial properties located in high-volume distribution markets in the United States. As used herein, the terms “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and its subsidiaries, including its operating partnership, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP. When we use the term “DCT,” we are referring to DCT Industrial Trust Inc. by itself, and not including any of its subsidiaries, and when we use the term the “Operating Partnership,” we are referring to DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP by itself, and not including any of its subsidiaries.

DCT was formed as a Maryland corporation in April 2002 and has elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are structured as an umbrella partnership REIT under which substantially all of our current and future business is, and will be, conducted through a majority owned and controlled subsidiary, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, a Delaware limited partnership, for which DCT is the sole general partner. DCT owns properties through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2014, DCT owned approximately 95.4% of the outstanding equity interests in the Operating Partnership.

On November 17, 2014, we completed a one-for-four reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding common stock and a corresponding reverse split of the partnership interests of the Operating Partnership.  The number of authorized shares and the par value of the common stock were not changed.  All common stock/unit and per share/unit data for all periods presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been restated to give effect to the reverse stock split.

Available Information

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to any of those reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable through our website at http://investors.dctindustrial.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DCT”.

Business Overview

Our portfolio primarily consists of high-quality, bulk distribution warehouses and light industrial properties. The properties we target for acquisition or development are generally characterized by convenient access to major transportation arteries, proximity to densely populated markets and quality design standards that allow our customers’ efficient and flexible use of the buildings. In the future, we intend to continue focusing on properties that exhibit these characteristics in select U.S. markets where we believe we can achieve favorable returns and leverage our local expertise. We seek to maximize growth in earnings and shareholder value within the context of overall economic conditions, primarily through increasing rents and operating income at existing properties and acquiring and developing high-quality properties in major distribution markets. In addition, we will recycle our capital by disposing of non-strategic, lower growth assets and reinvesting the proceeds into newly acquired or developed assets where we believe the returns will be more favorable over time.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company owned interests in approximately 72.3 million square feet of properties leased to approximately 900 customers, including:

As of December 31, 2014, our total consolidated portfolio consisted of 406 properties with an average size of 158,000 square feet and an average age of 22 years.

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During the year ended December 31, 2014, we acquired 36 buildings. These properties were acquired for a total purchase price of $363.1 million. During the year ended December 31, 2014, we sold 37 consolidated operating properties to third-parties for gross proceeds of approximately $283.2 million. We recognized gains of approximately $43.9 million on the disposition of 33 properties and recognized impairment losses of approximately $5.4 million on the disposition of four properties.

We have a broadly diversified customer base. As of December 31, 2014, our consolidated properties had leases with approximately 900 customers with no single customer accounting for more than 2.2% of the total annualized base rent of our properties. Our ten largest customers occupy approximately 10.0% of our consolidated properties based on square footage and account for approximately 11.5% of the annualized base rent of these properties. We believe that our broad national presence in the top U.S. distribution markets provides geographic diversity and is attractive to users of distribution space which allows us to build strong relationships with our customers. Furthermore, we are actively engaged in meeting our customers’ expansion and relocation requirements.

Our principal executive office is located at 518 17^th Street, Suite 800, Denver, Colorado 80202; our telephone number is (303) 597-2400. We also maintain regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Paramus, New Jersey; Newport Beach, California; Emeryville, California; Orlando, Florida; and Seattle, Washington. Our website address is www.dctindustrial.com.

Business Strategy

Our primary business objectives are to maximize long-term growth in Funds From Operations, or FFO, per share (see definition in “Selected Financial Data”), net asset value of our portfolio and total shareholder returns. In our pursuit of these long-term objectives, we seek to:

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Our Competitive Strengths

We believe that we distinguish ourselves from other owners, operators, acquirers and developers of industrial properties through the following competitive strengths:

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Operating Segments

Our operating results used to assess performance are aggregated into three reportable segments, East, Central and West, which are based on the geographical locations organized into markets where our management and operating teams conduct and monitor business. We consider rental revenues and property net operating income aggregated by segment to be the appropriate way to analyze performance. See additional information in “Item 2. Properties” and in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 14—Segment Information.”

Competition

The market for the leasing of industrial real estate is highly competitive. We experience competition for customers from other existing assets in proximity to our buildings as well as from proposed new developments. Institutional investors, other REITs and local real estate operators generally own such properties; however, no single competitor or small group of competitors is dominant in our current markets. However, as a result of competition, we may have to provide free rental periods, incur charges for tenant improvements or offer other inducements, all of which may have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

The market for the acquisition of industrial real estate is also very competitive. We compete for real property investments with other REITs and institutional investors such as pension funds and their advisors, private real estate investment funds, insurance company investment accounts, private investment companies, individuals and other entities engaged in real estate investment activities, some of which have greater financial resources than we do.

Environmental Matters

We are exposed to various environmental risks that may result in unanticipated losses and affect our operating results and financial condition. Either the previous owners or we subjected a majority of the properties we have acquired, including land, to environmental reviews. While some of these assessments have led to further investigation and sampling, none of the environmental assessments has revealed an environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. See further additional information in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Employees

As of December 31, 2014, we had 145 full-time employees.

 

 

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

RISKS RELATED TO RECENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Adverse economic conditions will negatively affect our returns and profitability.

Our operating results may be affected by weakness in the national and/or international economy as well as in the local economies where our properties are located. Specific impacts, among others, may include:

The value of our investments may not appreciate or may decline in value significantly below the amount we pay for these investments. The length and severity of any economic slowdown or downturn cannot be predicted. Our operations could be negatively affected to the extent that an economic slowdown or downturn is prolonged or becomes more severe.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

Our investments are concentrated in the industrial real estate sector, and our business would be adversely affected by an economic downturn in that sector.

Our investments in real estate assets are primarily concentrated in the industrial real estate sector. This concentration may expose us to the risk of economic downturns in this sector to a greater extent than if our business activities included a more significant portion of other sectors of the real estate industry.

We depend on key personnel.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of certain key personnel including, but not limited to, our management group, each of whom would be difficult to replace. If any of our key personnel were to cease employment with us, our operating results, financial condition and cash flows could suffer. Our ability to retain our management group, attract suitable replacements, or to attract new hires as needed, is dependent on the competitive nature of the employment market. Further, the loss of key personnel, or our inability to replace them, could be negatively perceived in the capital markets. We do not carry key man life insurance on any of our personnel.

Our operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected if we do not continue to have access to capital on favorable terms.

As a REIT, we must meet certain annual distribution requirements. Consequently, we are largely dependent on asset sales or external capital to fund our development and acquisition activities. Further, in order to maintain our REIT status and avoid the payment of income and excise taxes, we may need to borrow funds on a short-term basis to meet the REIT distribution requirements even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings. These short-term borrowing needs could result from differences in timing between the actual receipt of cash and inclusion of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes or the effect of non-deductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves or required debt or amortization payments. Additionally, our ability to sell assets or access capital is dependent upon a number of factors, including general market conditions and competition from other real estate companies. To the extent that capital is not available to acquire or develop properties, profits may not be realized or their realization may be delayed, which could result in an earnings stream that is less predictable than some of our competitors and result in us not meeting our projected earnings and distributable cash flow levels in a particular reporting period. Failure to meet our projected earnings and distributable cash flow levels in a particular reporting period could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and on the market price of our common stock.

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Our long-term growth will partially depend upon future acquisitions of properties, and we may be unable to consummate acquisitions on advantageous terms or acquisitions may not perform as we expect.

We acquire and intend to continue to acquire primarily high-quality generic bulk distribution warehouses and light industrial properties. The acquisition of properties entails various risks, including the risks that our investments may not perform as we expect, that we may be unable to integrate our new acquisitions into our existing operations quickly and efficiently and that our cost estimates for bringing an acquired property up to market standards may prove inaccurate. Further, we face significant competition for attractive investment opportunities from other well-capitalized real estate investors, including both publicly-traded REITs and private institutional investment funds, and these competitors may have greater financial resources than us and a greater ability to borrow funds to acquire properties. This competition increases as investments in real estate become increasingly attractive relative to other forms of investment. As a result of competition, we may be unable to acquire additional properties as we desire or the purchase price may be significantly elevated. Similarly, we seek to acquire new properties in off-market transactions, because such properties are typically more attractively priced, but we may be unable to obtain off-market deal flow in the future. In addition, we expect to finance future acquisitions through a combination of borrowings under our senior unsecured credit facility, proceeds from equity or debt offerings by us or our operating partnership or its subsidiaries and proceeds from property contributions and sales which may not be available and which could adversely affect our cash flows. Any of the above risks could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay distributions on, and the market price of, our common stock.

Our real estate development strategies may not be successful.

We are involved in the construction and expansion of distribution facilities and we intend to continue to pursue development and renovation activities as opportunities arise either on our own or in joint ventures. We will be subject to risks associated with our development and renovation activities that could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, our ability to pay dividends, and/or the market price of our common stock.

Actions of our joint venture partners could negatively impact our performance.

Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of available funds that we may invest in partnerships, limited liability companies or joint ventures, and we intend to selectively continue to develop and acquire properties through joint ventures, limited liability companies and partnerships with other persons or entities when warranted by the circumstances. Such partners may share certain approval rights over major decisions. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present with other methods of investment in real estate, including, but not limited to:

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We generally seek to maintain sufficient control of our partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures to permit us to achieve our business objectives; however, we may not be able to do so, and the occurrence of one or more of the events described above could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay dividends on, and/or the market price of our common stock.

The availability and timing of cash distributions is uncertain.

We expect to continue to pay quarterly distributions to our stockholders. However, we bear all expenses incurred by our operations, and our funds generated by operations, after payment of these expenses, may not be sufficient to cover desired levels of distributions to our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors, in its discretion, may retain any portion of such cash for working capital. We cannot assure our stockholders that sufficient funds will be available to pay distributions.

Declining real estate valuations and impairment charges could adversely affect our earnings and financial condition. We may decide to dispose of select real estate assets, thereby changing the holding period assumption in our valuation analyses for those assets, which could result in material impairment losses and adversely affect our financial results.

Economic conditions have required or could require us to recognize real estate impairment charges on some of our assets and equity investments. We conduct a comprehensive review of all our real estate assets in accordance with our policy of accounting for impairments (see further discussion of our accounting policies in “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Polices and Estimates”). The principal factor which has led to impairment charges in the recent past was the severe economic deterioration in many markets resulting in a decrease in leasing demand, rental rates, rising vacancies and an increase in capitalization rates.

There can be no assurance that the estimates and assumptions we use to assess impairments are accurate and will reflect actual results, or that we will not change our intended holding period for real estate assets. A worsening real estate market or the failure for that market to continue to improve may cause us to reevaluate the assumptions used in our impairment analysis and our intent to hold, sell, develop or contribute properties. Changes in these assumptions, or changes in our anticipated holding period, may result in impairment charges or losses that could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and/or the market price of our stock. An impairment loss could be material to our results of operations in the period that it is recognized.

Events or occurrences that affect areas in which our properties are geographically concentrated may impact financial results.

In addition to general, regional, national and international economic conditions, our operating performance is impacted by the economic conditions of the specific markets in which we have concentrations of properties. We have significant holdings in the following markets of our consolidated portfolio: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington D.C., Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Memphis, Nashville, New Jersey, Northern California, Orlando, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, Seattle and Southern California. Our operating performance could be adversely affected if conditions become less favorable in any of the markets in which we have a concentration of properties.

Our business could be adversely impacted if we have deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting.

Although continuously reviewed, the design and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may not prevent all errors, misstatements or misrepresentations and could result in a decline in our stock price, or otherwise materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

We face risks associated with security breaches through cyber-attacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology (IT) networks and related systems.

We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems inside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations and, in some cases, may be critical to the operations of certain of our tenants. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of IT networks and related systems, and we have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach

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or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed to not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk. A security breach or other significant disruption involving our IT networks and related systems could disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems; result in misstated financial reports, violations of loan covenants and/or missed reporting deadlines; result in our inability to properly monitor our compliance with the rules and regulations regarding our qualification as a REIT; result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or others, which others could use to compete against us or for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes; require significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result; subject us to claims for breach of contract, damages, credits, penalties or termination of leases or other agreements; or damage our reputation among our tenants and investors generally.

RISKS RELATED TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Our UPREIT structure may result in potential conflicts of interest.

As of December 31, 2014, we owned 95.4% of the units of limited partnership interest in our operating partnership, or OP Units, certain unaffiliated limited partners owned 4.0% of the OP Units and certain of our officers and directors, owned the remaining 0.6% of the OP Units. Persons holding OP Units in our operating partnership have the right to vote on certain amendments to the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership, as well as on certain other matters. Persons holding such voting rights may exercise them in a manner that conflicts with the interests of our stockholders. Furthermore, circumstances may arise in the future when the interest of limited partners in our operating partnership may conflict with the interests of our stockholders. For example, the timing and terms of dispositions of properties held by our operating partnership may result in tax consequences to certain limited partners and not to our stockholders.

GENERAL REAL ESTATE RISKS

Our performance and value are subject to general economic conditions and risks associated with our real estate assets.

The investment returns from equity investments in real estate depend in part on the amount of income earned and capital appreciation generated by the properties, as well as the expenses incurred in connection with the properties. If our properties do not generate income sufficient to meet operating expenses, including debt service and capital expenditures, then our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders could be adversely affected. In addition, there are significant expenditures associated with an investment in real estate (such as mortgage payments, real estate taxes and maintenance costs) that generally do not decline when circumstances reduce the income from the property. Income from, and the value of, our properties may, in addition to risks discussed elsewhere in this section, be adversely affected by:

In addition, periods of economic slowdown or recession, rising interest rates or declining demand for real estate, or public perception that any of these events may occur, would result in a general decrease in rents or an increased occurrence of defaults under existing leases, which would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Future terrorist attacks may result in declining economic activity, which could reduce the demand for, and the value of, our properties. To the extent that future attacks impact our customers, their businesses similarly could be adversely affected, including their ability to continue to honor their existing leases.

For these and other reasons, we cannot assure our stockholders that we will be profitable or that we will realize growth in the value of our real estate properties.

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Actions by our competitors may decrease or prevent increases in the occupancy and rental rates of our properties.

We compete with other developers, owners and operators of real estate. If our competitors offer space at rental rates or terms more attractive than we currently offer to our customers, we may lose customers or we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates or provide more favorable lease terms. As a result, our financial condition, cash flows, cash available for distribution, trading price of our common stock and ability to satisfy our debt service obligations could be materially adversely affected.

We are dependent on customers for our revenues.

Lease payment or performance defaults by customers could adversely affect our financial condition and cause us to reduce the amount of distributions to stockholders. A default by a customer on its lease payments could force us to find an alternative source of revenues to pay any mortgage loan on the property. In the event of a customer default, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs, including litigation and related expenses, in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property. If a lease is terminated, we may be unable to lease the property for the rent previously received or sell the property without incurring a loss.

Our ability to renew leases or re-lease space on favorable terms as leases expire significantly affects our business.

Our results of operations, distributable cash flows and the value of our common stock would be adversely affected if we are unable to lease, on economically favorable terms, a significant amount of space in our operating properties.

We may be unable to sell or re-lease a property if or when we decide to do so, including as a result of uncertain market conditions or vacancy, which could adversely affect the return on an investment in our common stock.

We expect to hold the various real properties in which we invest until such time as we decide that a sale or other disposition is appropriate given our investment objectives. Our ability to dispose of properties on advantageous terms depends on factors beyond our control, including competition from other sellers, the availability of attractive financing for potential buyers of our properties and the rate of occupancy of the property. We cannot predict the various market conditions affecting real estate investments which will exist at any particular time in the future. Due to the uncertainty of market conditions which may affect the future disposition of our properties, we cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to sell our properties at a profit in the future. Accordingly, the extent to which our stockholders will receive cash distributions and realize potential appreciation on our real estate investments will be dependent upon fluctuating market conditions.

Furthermore, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will have funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements.

In acquiring a property, we may agree to restrictions that prohibit the sale of that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. These provisions would restrict our ability to sell a property.

A property may incur a vacancy either by the continued default of a customer under its lease or the expiration of one of our leases. We have significant lease expirations in 2015, as outlined in “Item 2, Properties—Lease Expirations.” In addition, certain of the properties we acquire may have some level of vacancy at the time of closing. We may have difficulty obtaining a new customer for any vacant space we have in our properties. If the vacancy continues for a long period of time, we may suffer reduced revenues resulting in less cash available to be distributed to stockholders. In addition, the resale value of a property could be diminished because of vacancy.

The fact that real estate investments are not as liquid as other types of assets may reduce economic returns to investors.

Real estate investments are not as liquid as other types of investments, and this lack of liquidity may limit our ability to react promptly to changes in economic or other conditions. In addition, our ability at any time to sell assets or contribute assets to property funds or other entities in which we have an ownership interest may be restricted by the potential for the imposition of the 100% “prohibited transactions” tax on gains from certain dispositions of property by REIT’s unless a safe harbor exception applies. This lack of liquidity may limit our ability to change our portfolio composition promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions and, as a result, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and our ability to pay distributions on, and the market price of, our common stock.

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Delays in acquisition and development of properties may have adverse effects.

Delays we encounter in the selection, acquisition and development of properties could adversely affect our returns. Where land is acquired for purposes of developing a new property prior to the start of construction, it will typically take 12 to 18 months to complete construction and lease up the newly completed building.

Acquired properties may be located in new markets where we may face risks associated with investing in an unfamiliar market.

We have acquired, and may continue to acquire, properties in markets that are new to us. When we acquire properties located in these markets, we may face risks associated with a lack of market knowledge or understanding. We work to mitigate such risks through extensive diligence and research; however, there can be no guarantee that all such risks will be eliminated.

Uninsured losses relating to real property may adversely affect our returns.

We attempt to ensure that all of our properties are adequately insured to cover casualty losses. However, there are certain losses, including losses from floods, earthquakes, acts of war, acts of terrorism or riots, that are not generally insured against or that are not generally fully insured against because it is not deemed economically feasible or prudent to do so. In addition, changes in the cost or availability of insurance could expose us to uninsured casualty losses. In the event that any of our properties incurs a casualty loss that is not fully covered by insurance, the value of our assets will be reduced, and we could experience a significant loss of capital invested and potential revenues in these properties and could potentially remain obligated under any recourse debt associated with the property. Any such losses could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay dividends, and/or the market price of our common stock. In addition, we may have no source of funding to repair or reconstruct the damaged property, and we cannot assure that any such sources of funding will be available to us for such purposes in the future.

A number of our consolidated operating properties are located in areas that are known to be subject to earthquake activity. Properties located in active seismic areas include properties in Northern California, Southern California, Memphis and Seattle. We carry reasonable and customary earthquake insurance on all of our properties located in areas historically subject to seismic activity with coverage limitations and deductibles that we believe are commercially reasonable. We evaluate our earthquake insurance coverage annually in light of current industry practice through an analysis prepared by outside consultants.

A number of our properties are located in Houston, Miami and Orlando, which are areas that are known to be subject to hurricane and/or flood risk. We carry replacement-cost hurricane and flood hazard insurance on all of our properties located in areas historically subject to such activity with coverage limitations and deductibles that we believe are commercially reasonable. We evaluate our hurricane and flood damage insurance coverage annually in light of current industry practice through an analysis prepared by outside consultants.

Contingent or unknown liabilities could adversely affect our financial condition.

We have acquired and may in the future acquire properties without any recourse, or with only limited recourse, with respect to unknown or contingent liabilities, including, without limitation, environmental liabilities. As a result, if a claim was asserted against us based upon current or previous ownership of any of these properties or related entities, we might have to pay substantial sums to settle it which could adversely affect our cash flows.

Environmentally hazardous conditions may adversely affect our operating results.

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may be liable for the cost of removing or remediating hazardous or toxic substances on such property. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Even if more than one person may have been responsible for the contamination, a single person may be held responsible for all of the clean-up costs incurred. In addition, third-parties may sue the owner or operator of a site for damages based on personal injury, natural resources, property damage or other costs, including investigation and clean-up costs, resulting from the environmental contamination. The presence of hazardous or toxic substances on one of our properties, or the failure to properly remediate a contaminated property, could give rise to a lien in favor of a government entity for costs it may incur to address the contamination, or otherwise could adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or borrow using the property as collateral. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which a property may be used or businesses may be operated. A property owner who violates environmental laws may be subject to sanctions enforceable by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, private parties. In connection with the acquisition and ownership of our properties, we may be exposed to such costs. The cost of defending environmental claims, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements or of remediating any contaminated property could

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materially adversely affect our business, assets or results of operations and, consequently, amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.

Environmental laws in the U.S. also require that owners or operators of buildings containing asbestos properly manage and maintain the asbestos, adequately inform or train those who may come into contact with asbestos and undertake special precautions, including removal or other abatement, in the event that asbestos is disturbed during building renovation or demolition. These laws may impose fines and penalties on building owners or operators who fail to comply with these requirements and may allow third-parties to seek recovery from owners or operators for personal injury associated with exposure to asbestos. Some of our properties may contain asbestos-containing building materials.

We invest in properties historically used for industrial, manufacturing and commercial purposes. Some of these properties contain, or may have contained, underground storage tanks for the storage of petroleum products and other hazardous or toxic substances. All of these operations create a potential for the release of petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances. Some of our properties are adjacent to or near other properties that may have contained or currently contain underground storage tanks used to store petroleum products, or other hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, previous or current occupants of our properties and adjacent properties may have engaged, or may in the future engage, in activities that may release petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances.

We maintain a portfolio environmental insurance policy that provides coverage for potential environmental liabilities, subject to the policy’s coverage conditions and limitations, for most of our properties. From time to time, we may acquire properties or interests in properties, with known adverse environmental conditions where we believe that the environmental liabilities associated with these conditions are quantifiable and that the acquisition will yield a superior risk-adjusted return. In such an instance, we underwrite the costs of environmental investigation, clean-up and monitoring into the cost. Further, in connection with property dispositions, we may agree to remain responsible for, and to bear the cost of, remediating or monitoring certain environmental conditions on the properties.

All of our properties were subject to a Phase I or similar environmental assessment by independent environmental consultants at the time of acquisition. Phase I assessments are intended to discover and evaluate information regarding the environmental condition of the surveyed property and surrounding properties. Phase I assessments generally include a historical review, a public records review, an investigation of the surveyed site and surrounding properties, and preparation and issuance of a written report, but do not include soil sampling or subsurface investigations and typically do not include an asbestos survey. While some of these assessments have led to further investigation and sampling, none of our environmental assessments of our properties have revealed an environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations taken as a whole. However, we cannot give any assurance that such conditions do not exist or may not arise in the future. Material environmental conditions, liabilities or compliance concerns may arise after the environmental assessment has been completed. Moreover, there can be no assurance that (i) future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability or (ii) the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by customers, by the condition of land or operations in the vicinity of our properties (such as releases from underground storage tanks), or by third-parties unrelated to us.

Costs of complying with governmental laws and regulations may adversely affect our income and the cash available for any distributions.

All real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and human health and safety. Customers’ ability to operate and to generate income to pay their lease obligations may be affected by permitting and compliance obligations arising under such laws and regulations. Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on customers, owners or operators for the costs to investigate or remediate contaminated properties, regardless of fault or whether the acts causing the contamination were legal. Leasing properties to customers that engage in industrial, manufacturing, and commercial activities will cause us to be subject to the risk of liabilities under environmental laws and regulations. In addition, the presence of hazardous or toxic substances, or the failure to properly remediate these substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell, rent or pledge such property as collateral for future borrowings.

Some of these laws and regulations have been amended so as to require compliance with new or more stringent standards as of future dates. Compliance with new or more stringent laws or regulations or stricter interpretation of existing laws may require us to incur material expenditures. Future laws, ordinances or regulations may impose material environmental liability. Additionally, our customers’ operations, the existing condition of land when we buy it, operations in the vicinity of our properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or activities of unrelated third-parties may affect our properties. In addition, there are various local, state and federal fire, health, life-safety and similar regulations with which we may be required to comply and which may subject us to liability in the form of fines or damages for noncompliance. Any material expenditures, fines or damages we must pay will reduce our ability to make distributions and may reduce the value of our common stock.

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In addition, changes in these laws and governmental regulations, or their interpretation by agencies or the courts, could occur.

Compliance or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other similar regulations could result in substantial costs.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, places of public accommodation must meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the federal government or the award of damages to private litigants. If we are required to make unanticipated expenditures to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including removing access barriers, then our cash flows and the amounts available for distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected. While we believe that our properties are currently in material compliance with these regulatory requirements, the requirements may change or new requirements may be imposed that could require significant unanticipated expenditures by us that will affect our cash flows and results of operations.

We may acquire properties with “lock-out” provisions which may affect our ability to dispose of the properties.

We may acquire properties through contracts that could restrict our ability to dispose of the property for a period of time. These “lock-out” provisions could affect our ability to turn our investments into cash and could affect cash available for distributions to our stockholders. Lock-out provisions could also impair our ability to take actions during the lock-out period that would otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders and, therefore, may have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock relative to the value that would result if the lock-out provisions did not exist.

 

We could face possible risks associated with climate change.

 

The physical effects of climate change, were it to occur in a negative manner, could have a material adverse effect on our properties, operations and business. To the extent climate change causes changes in weather patterns, our markets could experience negative impact. This impact could result in declining demand for industrial space in our buildings or our inability to operate the buildings at all. Climate change may also have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable, increasing the cost of energy, increasing the cost of building materials, and increasing the cost of snow removal at our properties.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR DEBT FINANCINGS

Our operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected if we are unable to make required payments on our debt.

Our charter and bylaws do not limit the amount or percentage of indebtedness that we may incur, and we are subject to risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flows will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest. There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any maturing indebtedness, that such refinancing would be on terms as favorable as the terms of the maturing indebtedness or that we will be able to otherwise obtain funds by selling assets or raising equity to make required payments on maturing indebtedness.

In particular, loans obtained to fund property acquisitions may be secured by first mortgages on such properties. If we are unable to make our debt service payments as required, a lender could foreclose on the property or properties securing its debt. This could cause us to lose part or all of our investment, which in turn could cause the value of our common stock and distributions payable to stockholders to be reduced. Certain of our existing and future indebtedness is and may be cross-collateralized and, consequently, a default on this indebtedness could cause us to lose part or all of our investment in multiple properties.

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Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments or make it difficult for us to finance or refinance properties, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

We have incurred and may continue to incur variable rate debt whereby increases in interest rates raise our interest costs, which reduces our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness at maturity or meet our payment obligations, the amount of our distributable cash flows and our financial condition would be adversely affected, and the property securing such indebtedness may be sold on terms that are not advantageous to us or lost through foreclosure. Similarly, if debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance the purchase of properties. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments in properties at times which may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.

Covenants in our credit agreements could limit our flexibility and adversely affect our financial condition.

The terms of our senior credit facility and other indebtedness require us to comply with a number of customary financial and other covenants, such as covenants with respect to consolidated leverage, net worth and unencumbered assets. These covenants may limit our flexibility in our operations, and breaches of these covenants could result in defaults under the instruments governing the applicable indebtedness even if we have satisfied our payment obligations. As of December 31, 2014, we had certain non-recourse, secured loans which are cross-collateralized by multiple properties. If we default on any of these loans we may then be required to repay such indebtedness, together with applicable prepayment charges, to avoid foreclosure on all cross-collateralized properties within the applicable pool. In addition, our senior credit facility contains certain cross-default provisions which are triggered in the event that our other material indebtedness is in default. These cross-default provisions may require us to repay or restructure the senior credit facility in addition to any mortgage or other debt that is in default. If our properties were foreclosed upon, or if we are unable to refinance our indebtedness at maturity or meet our payment obligations, the amount of our distributable cash flows and our financial condition would be adversely affected.

If we enter into financing arrangements involving balloon payment obligations, it may adversely affect our ability to make distributions.

Some of our financing arrangements may require us to make a lump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. Our ability to make a balloon payment at maturity is uncertain and may depend upon our ability to obtain additional financing or our ability to sell the property. At the time the balloon payment is due, we may or may not be able to refinance the existing financing on terms as favorable as the original loan or sell the property at a price sufficient to make the balloon payment. The effect of a refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the projected time of disposition of our assets. In addition, payments of principal and interest made to service our debts may leave us with insufficient cash to pay the distributions that we are required to pay to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Our charter and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control transaction.

Our charter contains a 9.8% ownership limit.

Our charter, subject to certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT and to limit any person to actual or constructive ownership of no more than 9.8% by value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of any class or series of our outstanding shares of our capital stock. Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, any person from the ownership limit. However, our board of directors may not grant an exemption from the ownership limit to any person whose ownership, direct or indirect, in excess of 9.8% by value or number of shares of any class or series of our outstanding shares of our capital stock could jeopardize our status as a REIT. These restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT. The ownership limit may delay or impede a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

We could authorize and issue stock without stockholder approval.

Our board of directors could, without stockholder approval, issue authorized but unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. In addition, our board of directors could, without stockholder approval, classify or reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and set the preferences, rights and other terms of such classified or reclassified shares. Our board of directors could establish a series of stock that could, depending on the terms of such series, delay,

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defer or prevent a transaction or change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Provisions of Maryland law may limit the ability of a third-party to acquire control of our Company.

Certain provisions of Maryland law may have the effect of inhibiting a third-party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under certain circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then prevailing market price of such shares.

Our charter, our bylaws and the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Our board of directors can take many actions without stockholder approval.

Our board of directors has overall authority to oversee our operations and determine our major corporate policies. This authority includes significant flexibility. For example, our board of directors can do the following:

Any of these actions could increase our operating expenses, impact our ability to make distributions or reduce the value of our assets without giving our stockholders the right to vote.

We may change our investment and financing strategies and enter into new lines of business without stockholder consent, which may result in riskier investments than our current investments.

We may change our investment and financing strategies and enter into new lines of business at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which could result in our making investments and engaging in business activities that are different from, and possibly riskier than, the investments and businesses described in this document. A change in our investment strategy or our entry into new lines of business may increase our exposure to interest rate and other risks of real estate market fluctuations.

Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against our directors and officers are limited.

Maryland law provides that a director or officer has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In addition, our charter eliminates our directors’ and officers’ liability to us and our stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment and which is material to the cause of action. Our bylaws require us to indemnify our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law for liability actually incurred in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party, except to the extent that the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was either committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or, in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights against our directors and officers than

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might otherwise exist under common law. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our directors and officers.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX RISKS

Failure to qualify as a REIT could adversely affect our operations and our ability to make distributions.

We operate in a manner so as to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of numerous requirements (some on an annual and quarterly basis) established under highly technical and complex provisions of the Code for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations, and involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. The fact that we hold substantially all of our assets through our operating partnership and its subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements for us. No assurance can be given that we will qualify as a REIT for any particular year. If we were to fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year for which a REIT election has been made, we would not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to our stockholders in computing our taxable income and would be subject to federal income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at corporate rates unless certain relief provision apply. As a consequence, we would not be compelled to make distributions under the Code. Moreover, unless we were to obtain relief under certain statutory provisions, we would also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost. This treatment would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to our stockholders because of the additional tax liability to us for the years involved. As a result of the additional tax liability, we might need to borrow funds or liquidate certain investments on terms that may be disadvantageous to us in order to pay the applicable tax. If we fail to qualify as a REIT but are eligible for certain relief provisions, then we may retain our status as a REIT but may be required to pay a penalty tax, which could be substantial.

To qualify as a REIT, we must meet annual distribution requirements.

To obtain the favorable tax treatment accorded to REITs, among other requirements, we normally will be required each year to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding net capital gains. We will be subject to federal income tax on our undistributed taxable income and net capital gain. In addition, if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our ordinary income for such year, (b) 95% of our capital gain net income for such year, and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of (i) the amounts actually distributed by us, plus (ii) retained amounts on which we pay income tax at the corporate level. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the requirements of the Code for REITs and to minimize or eliminate our corporate income tax obligation. However, differences between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash could require us to sell assets or borrow funds on a short-term or long-term basis or partially pay dividends in shares of our common stock to meet the distribution requirements of the Code. Certain types of assets generate substantial mismatches between taxable income and available cash. Such assets include rental real estate that has been financed through financing structures which require some or all of available cash flows to be used to service borrowings. As a result, the requirement to distribute a substantial portion of our taxable income could cause us to: (1) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (2) borrow on unfavorable terms or (3) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, in order to comply with REIT requirements. Further, amounts distributed will not be available to fund our operations.

Legislative or regulatory action could adversely affect our stockholders.

In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made to the federal income tax laws applicable to investments in REITs and similar entities. Additional changes to tax laws are likely to continue to occur in the future, and we cannot assure our stockholders that any such changes will not adversely affect the taxation of a stockholder. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our common stock. All stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in common stock.

Distributions payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates that apply to certain other corporate distributions.

Certain distributions payable by corporations to individuals subject to tax as “qualified dividend income” are subject to reduced tax rates applicable to long-term capital gain. Distributions payable by REITs, however, generally continue to be taxed at the normal rate applicable to the individual recipient rather than the preferential long-term capital gain rate. Although this preferential tax rate on certain corporate distributions does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate distributions could cause investors who are individuals to perceive investments in REITs to be

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relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay distributions, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock.

Recharacterization of transactions under our operating partnership’s private placement may result in a 100% tax on income from prohibited transactions, which would diminish our cash distributions to our stockholders.

The IRS could recharacterize transactions under our operating partnership’s private placement such that our operating partnership is treated as the bona fide owner, for tax purposes, of properties acquired and resold by the entity established to facilitate the transaction. Such recharacterization could result in the income realized on these transactions by our operating partnership being treated as gain on the sale of property that is held as inventory or otherwise held primarily for the sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. In such event, such gain would constitute income from a prohibited transaction and would be subject to a 100% tax. If this occurs, our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders will be adversely affected.

In certain circumstances, we may be subject to federal and state income taxes, which would reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may be subject to federal income taxes or state taxes in various circumstances. For example, net income from a “prohibited transaction” will be subject to a 100% tax. In addition, we may not be able to distribute all of our income in any given year, which would result in corporate level taxes, and we may not make sufficient distributions to avoid excise taxes. We may also decide to retain certain gains from the sale or other disposition of our property and pay income tax directly on such gains. In that event, our stockholders would be required to include such gains in income and would receive a corresponding credit for their share of taxes paid by us. We may also be subject to U.S. state and local and non-U.S. taxes on our income or property, either directly or at the level of our operating partnership or at the level of the other entities through which we indirectly own our assets. In addition, any net taxable income earned directly by any of our taxable REIT subsidiaries, which we refer to as TRSs, will be subject to federal and state corporate income tax. In addition, we may be subject to federal or state taxes in other various circumstances. Any taxes we pay will reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

If our operating partnership was classified as a “publicly traded partnership” under the Code, our status as a REIT and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders could be adversely affected.

Our operating partnership is organized as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Even though our operating partnership will not elect to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation, it may be taxed as a corporation if it is deemed to be a “publicly traded partnership.” A publicly traded partnership is a partnership whose interests are traded on an established securities market or are considered readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. We believe and currently take the position that our operating partnership should not be classified as a publicly traded partnership because interests in our operating partnership are not traded on an established securities market, and our operating partnership should satisfy certain safe harbors which prevent a partnership’s interests from being treated as readily tradable on an established securities market or substantial equivalent thereof. No assurance can be given, however, that the IRS would not assert that our operating partnership constitutes a publicly traded partnership or that facts and circumstances will not develop which could result in our operating partnership being treated as a publicly traded partnership. If the IRS were to assert successfully that our operating partnership is a publicly traded partnership, and substantially all of our operating partnership’s gross income did not consist of the specified types of passive income, our operating partnership would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation and would be subject to corporate tax at the entity level. In such event, the character of our assets and items of gross income would change and would result in a termination of our status as a REIT. In addition, the imposition of a corporate tax on our operating partnership would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

Certain property transfers may generate prohibited transaction income, resulting in a penalty tax on gain attributable to the transaction.

From time to time, we may transfer or otherwise dispose of some of our properties, including the contribution of properties to our joint venture funds or other commingled investment vehicles. Under the Code, any gain resulting from transfers of properties that we hold as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business would be treated as income from a prohibited transaction subject to a 100% penalty tax, unless a safe harbor exception applies. Since we acquire properties for investment purposes, we do not believe that our occasional transfers or disposals of property or our contributions of properties into our joint venture funds, or commingled investment vehicles, are properly treated as prohibited transactions. However, whether property is held for investment purposes is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. The IRS may contend that certain transfers or disposals of properties by us or contributions of properties into our joint venture funds are prohibited transactions if they do not meet the safe harbor requirements. While we believe that the IRS would not prevail in any such dispute, if the IRS were to argue successfully that a transfer or disposition or contribution of property constituted a prohibited transaction, we

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would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on any gain allocable to us from the prohibited transaction. In addition, income from a prohibited transaction might adversely affect our ability to satisfy the income tests for qualification as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes.

Foreign investors may be subject to the Foreign Investment Real Property Tax Act, or FIRPTA, which would impose tax on certain distributions and on the sale of common stock if we are unable to qualify as a “domestically controlled” REIT or if our stock is not considered to be regularly traded on an established securities market.

A foreign person disposing of a U.S. real property interest, including shares of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of U.S. real property interests or USRPIs is generally subject to a tax, known as FIRPTA tax, on the gain recognized on the disposition. Such FIRPTA tax does not apply, however, to the disposition of stock in a REIT if the REIT is a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT in which, at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% of the value of its shares is held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. holders. In the event that we do not constitute a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, a person’s sale of stock nonetheless will generally not be subject to tax under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI, provided that (1) the stock owned is of a class that is “regularly traded” as defined by applicable Treasury regulations, on an established securities market, and (2) the selling non-U.S. holder held 5% or less of our outstanding stock of that class at all times during a specified testing period. If we were to fail to so qualify as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity and our common stock were to fail to be “regularly traded,” gain realized by a foreign investor on a sale of our common stock would be subject to FIRPTA tax and applicable withholding. No assurance can be given that we will be a domestically controlled qualified investment entity. Additionally, any distributions we make to our non-U.S. stockholders that are attributable to gain from the sale of any USRPI will also generally be subject to FIRPTA tax and applicable withholdings, unless the recipient non-U.S. stockholder has not owned more than 5% of our common stock at any time during the year preceding the distribution and our common stock is treated as being “regularly traded”.

Congress has introduced legislation that, if enacted, could cause our operating partnership to be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the publicly traded partnership rules.

Congress has considered and the Obama administration has indicated its support for legislative proposals to treat all or part of certain income allocated to a partner by a partnership in respect of certain services provided to or for the benefit of the partnership (“carried interest revenue”) as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. While more recent proposals would not adversely affect the character of the income for purposes of the REIT qualification tests, it is not clear what form any such final legislation would take. Additionally, while the more recent proposals purport to treat carried interest revenue as qualifying income of certain operating partnerships of publicly-traded REITs for purposes of the “qualifying income” exception to the publicly-traded partnership rules, our operating partnership may not qualify under this exception in the proposed legislation. As a result, the proposed legislation, if enacted, could cause our operating partnership to be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if it is a publicly-traded partnership and the amount of any such carried interest revenue plus any other non-qualifying income earned by our operating partnership exceeds 10% of its gross income in any taxable year.

 

None.

 

 

 

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Geographic Distribution

The following table describes the geographic diversification of our consolidated properties as of December 31, 2014:  

(See footnote definitions on next page)

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The following table describes the geographic diversification of our investments in unconsolidated properties as of December 31, 2014:

 

 

Indebtedness

As of December 31, 2014, 49 of our 406 consolidated properties, with a combined gross book value of approximately $0.6 billion were encumbered by mortgage indebtedness totaling $244.4 million (excluding net premiums). See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 5—Outstanding Indebtedness” and the accompanying Schedule III beginning on page F-57 for additional information.

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Lease Expirations

Our industrial properties are leased to customers for terms generally ranging from 3 to 10 years with a weighted average remaining term of approximately 3.3 years as of December 31, 2014. Following is a schedule of expiring leases for our consolidated properties by square feet and by annualized minimum base rent as of December 31, 2014, assuming no exercise of lease renewal:

 

 

Customer Diversification

As of December 31, 2014, there were no customers that occupied more than 2.2% of our consolidated properties based on annualized base rent. The following table reflects our 10 largest customers, based on annualized base rent as of December 31, 2014, who occupy a combined 6.4 million square feet or 10.0% of our consolidated properties.

 

Although base rent is supported by long-term lease contracts, customers who file bankruptcy generally have the legal right to reject any or all of their leases. In the event that a customer with a significant number of leases in our properties files bankruptcy and cancels its leases, we could experience a reduction in our revenues and an increase in our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable.

We continuously monitor the financial condition of our customers. We communicate often with those customers who have been late on payments or have filed bankruptcy. We are not currently aware of any significant financial difficulties of any tenants that would cause a material reduction in our revenues, and no customer represents more than 5.0% of our annual base rent.

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Industry Diversification

The table below illustrates the diversification of our consolidated portfolio by the industry classification of our customers based upon their NAICS code as of December 31, 2014 (dollar amounts in thousands):