Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as property manager for part of the warehouse and logistics portfolio of international investment company Accolade. It will provide asset services for properties with a total area of over 440,000 sqm in locations across Poland such as Mińsk Mazowiecki, Konin, Elbląg, Kielce, Piła, and Koszalin, and in the Czech Republic, including Stříbro Park, one of the largest warehouse parks in the Czech market.
Accolade is an investment company with a presence in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Croatia. It owns a portfolio of 62 industrial parks with an area of 3.5 million sqm and a total value of EUR 3 billion. In Poland, the Accolade portfolio includes 29 parks valued at over EUR 1.2 billion and totalling more than 1.6 million sqm of space. These properties are leased to 100 tenants, generating EUR 82.4 million in annual rental income.
"The appointment of a new property manager is a major step in the continued development of our portfolio. The firm’s extensive experience in industrial property management and strategic approach to optimizing operations align perfectly with our goals. We have appointed Cushman & Wakefield as our property manager in Poland and the Czech Republic. We are confident that this collaboration will create significant value for both our tenants and the entire Accolade ecosystem. Our shared objective is to further enhance service quality and improve the operational efficiency of our properties," says Agnieszka Niezgodzka, Asset Management, Accolade.
As the property manager for the investor’s industrial assets, Cushman & Wakefield is responsible for operational, accounting and technical management. Its key duties also include implementing ESG strategies.
"As Accolade prioritizes sustainability, all its properties are BREEAM or DGNB certified to guarantee a sustainable approach to environmental protection. This strategy aligns with Cushman & Wakefield’s operational philosophy and goals. Our team is now tasked with further improving the operational and energy efficiency of the properties under our management. Key to this process is conducting a thorough analysis and reporting in order to obtain precise data on the costs and revenue for each property. There is no doubt that managing several facilities simultaneously creates greater opportunities for a multi-faceted approach and enhances the potential to optimize Accolade’s portfolio," explains Grzegorz Dyląg, Partner, Head of Asset Services Business Space, Asset Services EMEA, Cushman & Wakefield.
According to Cushman & Wakefield’s data, one-third of Poland’s approximately 34.5 million sqm of warehouse space was built in the last three years and half of the country’s total stock is less than five years old. Although the Polish industrial market is young, it is already highly mature. This requires industrial asset owners to implement appropriate optimisation strategies and conduct regular risk assessments. Cushman & Wakefield’s report Logistics & Industrial Asset Optimisation For Tomorrow reveals that a comprehensive strategy and prioritising ESG goals are fundamental to this process.
"The mandate to manage properties located in two countries – Poland and the Czech Republic – creates greater opportunities to share know-how and good practices within the Cushman & Wakefield team. Our philosophy is underpinned by OneCushwake, which embodies both close collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as enhanced potential to drive optimisation for our clients. We are therefore delighted to welcome Accolade’s properties to our management portfolio," comments Zuzanna Paciorkiewicz, Head of Asset Services CEE, Cushman & Wakefield.