Bridge Industrial has commenced its expansion into mainland Europe with the appointment of Jean Henault as Partner, Head of France and the opening of its first office on the continent, in Paris.
Jean will lead the global firm's operations across the country, working alongside Head of Europe Charles Baigler to kickstart Bridge Industrial's European operations, with Paris as the first of three new headquarters across mainland Europe. Plans to launch operations in the Netherlands and Germany are underway.
Bridge Industrial’s Co-Founder & CEO Steve Poulos, comments on this milestone, “It is an exciting time for our firm as we officially expand our operations into continental Europe. Supporting the communities in which we operate with critical infrastructure, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient industrial real estate lies at the core of our business, and we look forward to bringing communities across Europe Class A industrial complexes that support their growing economies.”
Charles Baigler, Bridge Industrial's Head of Europe, comments: “At Bridge Industrial, we invest and operate in high barrier to entry markets, where demand outweighs supply for best in class, sustainable logistics real estate. We have seen considerable success across the US and UK and seek to leverage our expertise in complex transactions, skilled site development, creative property solutions, and successful leasing across mainland Europe.”
Jean joins Bridge Industrial from Carlyle where he was responsible for acquisitions and asset management of the Serfilog logistics program. Prior to Carlyle, Henault held senior positions at logistics operator Melcombe Partners and Hansteen. He has a 20-year track record in the logistics sector in France, focusing on supply constrained markets.
“Starting with France and the appointment of Jean, we are excited at what lies ahead. He brings a wealth of expertise and deep understanding of the market. Our goal is to be operational in core, infill locations across the country including Paris, Lyon, Lille and Marseille, plus across the Netherlands and Germany in the near future," continues Baigler.
“This marks an exciting new chapter for Bridge Industrial, and myself, as we champion the firm’s success into mainland Europe. We seek to capitalize on opportunities to acquire and develop Class A, sustainable logistics facilities that meet the community’s demand for last-mile and next-day delivery. I look forward to working with Charlie and the wider US and UK teams to rapidly grow our operations across France, focusing on high barrier to entry markets with increased demand and relatively low supply," says Jean Henault.
Founded in 2000 by Co-Founder and CEO Steve Poulos, Bridge Industrial is a vertically integrated real estate operating company and investment manager. The firm focuses on the development and management of Class A industrial real estate in the supply-constrained core industrial markets of Chicago, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Los Angles, San Francisco, Seattle, London and now Paris. Since its inception, Bridge has successfully acquired and developed close to 74 million sq ft (6.9 million sq m) of industrial buildings.
Following its UK inception in 2020, Bridge Industrial has amassed and developed a portfolio of infill industrial real estate within Greater London’s established M25 market. The firm remains focused on adding to its existing quantum within this core geography, whilst also expanding its footprint into broader Southeast and Northwest markets.