KKR and Etche, KKR’s logistics real estate platform in France, have acquired the Scott logistics portfolio in France from Ivanhoé Cambridge, comprising five buildings with a total area exceeding 160,000 square meters.
These assets, two of which have just been completed, are strategically located in prime logistics zones in the ‘Dorsale’ on the outskirts of Lyon, Grenoble, Orléans, Compiègne and Strasbourg.
The buildings are fully occupied by quality anchor tenants on long-term leases.
The acquisition is KKR’s first transaction in France through its European Core+ real estate strategy, which focuses on investing in high quality, substantially stabilised assets with medium-term value growth potential.
“The acquisition of this portfolio is a clear demonstration of our ability to swiftly execute significant deals in a challenging market environment, thanks in large part to the reinforcement of our teams with Joffrey Houdoux (Investment Manager) and Julien Chevrier (Chief Administrative and Financial Officer) who joined the firm this year. This strategic portfolio combines strong fundamentals and significant potential for value appreciation, which will allow us to navigate the current period with confidence. It serves as an excellent foundation upon which we can soon aggregate new buildings of similar quality,” said Vincent Lauret, President of Etche.
“This first acquisition through our Core+ strategy in France reflects our desire to acquire a quality portfolio for the long term, particularly in the logistics sector. We expect that the sector fundamentals will continue to be very positive for the years to come, particularly given the lack of future supply in France, which should continue to benefit owners of existing, quality assets,” commented Mai-Lan de Marcilly, Managing Director and Head of Transactions France & Hotels at KKR.
“This transaction is exemplary of our broader ambition in France and regionally – to invest in high-quality assets in prime locations and with strong fundamentals, and where we have the potential to drive value. The collaboration with Etche in France has created a strong basis for our team to invest behind the themes that we like, particularly logistics which is benefiting from the rise in e-commerce penetration rates and on-shoring of supply chains. We’re delighted to have expanded the portfolio into France and look forward to building further on this,” continued Ian Williamson, Managing Director and Head of Core+ Real Estate in Europe at KKR.
“We are delighted to have successfully and seamlessly concluded the sale of these five assets from our Hub&Flow logistics platform to KKR-Etche. This transaction is the result of our asset management efforts and enables us to recycle our capital in the logistics market. We remain convinced of the logistics sector’s resilience, and this sector will continue to be a strategic priority for us over the long term through the growth of the Hub&Flow platform in Europe along main logistics corridors,” added Maud Wargny, Senior Director, Investments, Europe, at Ivanhoé Cambridge.
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