Supply Chain Strategy: How NFI Built a Global Logistics Empire

Third-party logistics, industrial real estate strategy, supply chain technology, and market uncertainty are all shaping the way major occupiers make real estate decisions in today’s industrial market. Join hosts Bill Condon and Matt McGregor live from IAMC in Little Rock as they sit down with Michael Landsburg of NFI to discuss the evolution of the 3PL industry, NFI’s national platform, and how logistics companies are navigating a changing market. 🏢📦 In this episode, Michael shares the story behind NFI, one of the largest privately held, family-owned third-party logistics companies in North America. He discusses NFI’s nearly century-long history, its footprint across the U.S. and Canada, and how the company services everything from goods manufactured overseas to final delivery at your doorstep. 🚛🌎 The conversation breaks down NFI’s unique real estate strategy, including its 80+ million-square-foot operating portfolio, 17 million square feet of owned real estate, and how the company evaluates when to own, lease, or operate facilities on behalf of customers. Michael explains why real estate ownership can create control, flexibility, customer connectivity, and long-term investment value. 🏭📍 The group also dives into current industrial leasing conditions and how market softness is playing out differently by submarket, building type, and tenant requirement. Michael shares how NFI has adjusted its approach by staying disciplined, matching lease commitments more closely with customer contracts, and taking less real estate risk compared to prior growth cycles. 📈🏢 Michael also discusses technology, data, AI, and automation inside modern logistics operations. From centralized data strategies to fully autonomous robots operating inside warehouses, the episode explores how 3PLs are using technology to move faster, improve efficiency, and better serve customers. 🤖📊 The discussion wraps with a look at the rise of Asian 3PLs in major logistics markets, including the Inland Empire, New Jersey, Savannah, and Texas. Michael and the hosts explore whether this activity represents new demand, market share shifts, or both as well as what it could mean for the future of industrial absorption and third-party logistics competition. 🌏🚢 Chapters 0:00 Intro and NFI overview 2:10 The history of the 94-year-old family business 4:15 Strategy behind owning vs leasing assets 6:30 Diversifying the portfolio after 2008 8:45 Current industrial market trends and softness 11:00 Leveraging data and AI in logistics 13:15 Autonomous robots in the warehouse 14:50 The impact of Asian 3PL growth 16:00 Closing thoughts and wrap up Make sure to subscribe to the Industrial Advisors podcast for more weekly insights into the world of industrial real estate, corporate occupiers, logistics, development, capital markets, and supply chain strategy. 🔔 #industrialrealestate #commercialrealestate #IAMC #NFI #MichaelLandsburg #industrialadvisors #logistics #supplychain #3PL #tenantrepresentation #warehousing #manufacturing #automation #AI #industrialleasing #industrialdevelopment #supplychainstrategy 📢 Connect with us: Industrial Advisors Website: https://www.industrialadvisors.com/ LinkedIn:   / industrial-advisors-podcast   TikTok:   / industrialadvisorspod