South Wisconsin

Southeast Wisconsin Industrial Real Estate Market Overview

With the Port of Milwaukee and General Mitchell International Airport located nearby, Southeast Wisconsin is a key supply chain route and transportation hub that connects the Midwest market to national and international locations. Home to six Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, the region's economy is growing quickly. More companies are moving operations to the Southeast Wisconsin area to take advantage of its strong labor base, competitive rental and utility rates, and close proximity to Illinois intermodal facilities and surrounding Midwest population centers. With easy access to Lake Michigan and other waterways, Wisconsin is home to booming manufacturing and shipping industries, increasing the importance of transportation and logistically advantaged property locations. The Southeast part of the state provides an economical, accessible alternative for tenants and logistics companies that serve cities throughout the Midwest or are hoping to broaden their national reach.

Meet the Team

• Ed Harrington

  Senior Vice President, Development

  Development | Email

  • Ed Harrington

    Senior Vice President, Development

    630-586-8167 eharrington@centerpoint.com

    Mr. Harrington joined CenterPoint Properties Trust in 1999 and currently oversees the development of logistically located facilities and industrial parks for CenterPoint Properties. He oversees CenterPoint’s development service group, which is responsible for the development of industrial business parks, manufacturing and distribution facilities. He has spent more than 20 years developing industrial commercial real estate. In addition to his commercial real estate experience, he worked for several years as a civil engineer with local Chicago engineering firms. He received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Marquette University and a Masters of Business Administration from Loyola University, Chicago. Furthermore, he is a member of the NAIOP Chicago Board of Directors and a member of the NAIOP Chicago Legislative Committee.

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• Jim Shields

  Vice President, Customer Engagement

  Asset Management | Email

  • Jim Shields

    Vice President, Customer Engagement

    630-586-8193 jshields@centerpoint.com

    Mr. James Shields, Vice President, Customer Engagement, joined CenterPoint Properties in 2001. During his tenure, Mr. Shields held positions as Property Accountant, Property Manager and Vice President Regional Manager, with the oversight of 15 million square feet of industrial property. He manages roughly $62.3 million of revenue annually and leads a team responsible for the leasing of vacant space and negotiating lease and tenant improvements. Mr. Shields oversees the direct supervision of maintenance engineers, prepares facility budgets and maintains properties under corporate approval budgets with minimal variance. Mr. Shields graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Robert Morris College and will receive his Masters in Supply Chain Management from Elmhurst College in 2015. He is an active member of the Los Angeles Transportation Club, National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) Chicago and BOMA.

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• Brian McKiernan

  Senior Vice President, Development

  Development | Email

  • Brian McKiernan

    Senior Vice President, Development

    630-586-8113 bmckiernan@centerpoint.com

    Mr. McKiernan joined CenterPoint Properties in October 2006 and is responsible for the origination, development, execution and integration of park teams for new and existing business opportunities. Mr. McKiernan coordinates, communicates and integrates development teams to maximize transaction volumes and land absorption through a focused national strategy to identify and leverage supply chain cost savings resulting in maximized yields on transactions. Prior to joining CenterPoint, McKiernan served as Captain in the United States Air Force from March 2001 until he was honorably discharged in March 2006. He most recently served as a Business Advisor to the United States Central Air Force, Middle East Division, where he managed the deployment and budget for 25 offices in 18 countries. He advised senior leadership on business operations for 200 acquisitions and construction project valued in excess of $250M. Mr. McKiernan graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Management in June 1999.

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• Rives Nolen

  Senior Vice President, Investments

  Investments | Email

  • Rives Nolen

    Senior Vice President, Investments

    713-305-4663 rnolen@centerpoint.com

    Rives joined CenterPoint Properties as Senior Vice President, Investments in August 2020, to oversee the growth of the company’s central region portfolio. He is responsible for executing CenterPoint’s central region investment strategy, sourcing and managing local acquisition transactions, and collaborating with the entire regional team to identify new investment opportunities and add value to the existing portfolio. Before joining CenterPoint, Rives was Senior Vice President with InSite Realty Partners, a Houston-based commercial real estate firm, where he was involved in industrial leasing, development, investment, and brokerage over nearly two decades. He’s a Developer Associate Member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and serves on NAIOP’s Development and Construction Committee. Rives earned an MBA from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

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