Fresh Perspectives, Shared Knowledge Fuel IAMC Experience
It is an honor to have this opportunity to connect with IAMC members and Site Selection’s 42,000 readers. By way of introduction, I’m Jim Horigan, Senior Manager of Global Real Estate at Corning Incorporated. I’m pleased to have the chance to serve and engage with a community that brings together some of the best thinking in corporate real estate and economic development.
One of IAMC’s greatest strengths is its commitment to education, professional development and the exchange of ideas. Our Forums and other programming create opportunities to learn from one another, build meaningful relationships and bring new perspectives back to our organizations. These connections remain at the heart of the IAMC experience.
2027 looks to be an exciting year. Throughout the year, we will continue to ramp up PILLAR programming and expand the opportunities for members to develop their knowledge, strengthen their capabilities and learn from the collective experience of the IAMC community. I believe PILLAR can become an important part of the value IAMC delivers to members at every stage of their careers.
Jim Horigan
Chair, IAMC Board of Directors
This focus is especially relevant as companies continue making significant capital investments and increasingly complex location decisions. At Corning, we are in need of a much bigger boat, with significant investments expanding our manufacturing footprint in the United States and around the world. For me, that experience continually reinforces that the best decisions rarely come from working in isolation. They come from continued education, trusted relationships and a willingness to seek out different perspectives. That is exactly the environment IAMC creates, and it is why I believe our continued investment in education and programs like PILLAR will be so important as we look ahead to 2027.
For corporate real estate professionals, these investments demonstrate the connection between business strategy, location strategy, workforce, infrastructure and strong partnerships. They also reinforce why organizations like IAMC matter.
As we look toward 2027, I encourage members to embrace the opportunities ahead, participate in PILLAR and IAMC programming, and continue sharing the knowledge and relationships that make this community unique.
— Jim Horigan
Photo: Getty Images
The First Credential Built for Industrial Real Estate: Introducing the IAMC Industrial Real Estate Strategist™
by Charlene Manuel, Director of Education and Research, IAMC
Anyone in industrial real estate can tell you what a good decision looks like on paper. The professionals worth hiring, partnering with and promoting are the ones who can carry that decision forward: Build the case, negotiate the deal, deliver the project and run the property once the doors open.
The new IAMC Industrial Real Estate Strategist™ (IAMC-IRST™) recognizes exactly that. It is the first designation from PILLAR, IAMC’s professional education program, and the first credential built specifically for industrial real estate professionals.
“Industrial real estate professionals have built careers on experience and peer relationships,” says Tate Godfrey, CEO of IAMC. “PILLAR gives that expertise a formal, recognized form, and the IAMC-IRST™ designation is the first of more to come.”
Industrial real estate rarely fits a general-purpose credential. Facility decisions are tied to operations and supply chains, and they involve finance, plant management, legal and outside partners all at once. IAMC-IRST™ recognizes individuals who can lead, execute and manage industrial real estate decisions across all of it, from business case to boots on the ground.
Why IAMC?
IAMC is built exclusively for industrial real estate, and its membership puts corporate real estate leaders, service providers and economic developers on equal footing. That balance carries into every PILLAR cohort, where the people who would normally sit on opposite sides of a deal are teammates on the capstone.
“The PILLAR program is an excellent way to keep the conversation going between events and to maximize your IAMC membership,” says Jessica Trew, executive director, Hillsboro Economic Development Corporation. “A small group is a great environment for substantive conversation and for building relationships. I’ve appreciated learning so much from colleagues on the other side of the table. Understanding your partners helps projects succeed.”
PILLAR was created by IAMC members and subject matter experts, so each program is built around situations professionals actually face.
A Learning Journey for Industrial Real Estate
IAMC designed and developed Skills Paths to bring members together for a collaborative learning experience. Each Skills Path is a three-month, cohort-based program with live virtual sessions, self-paced microlearning and peer assignments, followed by a team capstone and assessment. The program emphasizes peer-to-peer learning, allowing all participants to showcase their expertise and learn from one another as well as from the content provided. In addition to best practices, learners walk away with tools and frameworks that they can immediately apply to their current workload.
To earn the IAMC Industrial Real Estate Strategist™ credential, one must complete the following courses:
Build the case. Win the room. Building & Selling Your Industrial Business Case shows you can define the problem, map the stakeholders who can make or break a recommendation, and compare lease, buy, consolidate and optimize options. In the capstone, teams deliver a business case recommendation to a panel.
Approved isn’t done. Execute the plan. Executing Industrial Real Estate Projects shows you can turn an approved case into an execution plan, negotiate leases and purchases, coordinate construction and tenant improvements, and manage multiple workstreams. The capstone includes a live negotiation with real-time landlord responses and a project presentation.
Maintain the property. Prepare for the unexpected. Managing Industrial Real Estate Properties shows you can make the shift from project to property, with a first-30-days checklist, capital planning, preventive maintenance and structured problem-solving. The capstone involves managing realistic scenarios and presenting an executive-level property status review.
“What I enjoyed most about the IAMC PILLAR Program was the chance to learn from peers with different experiences and perspectives across the industrial real estate industry,” says Jason Vaughn, regional business director, SE, for Agracel. “The small-group discussions, breakout sessions and capstone project provided a real-world look at how major location decisions get made inside a company. I left with a broader perspective, new relationships and the knowledge and experience needed to earn the IAMC Industrial Real Estate Strategist™ (IAMC-IRST™) credential. That’s what makes IAMC special, bringing great people together to learn from one another and build lasting connections.”
Your Next Step
IAMC-IRST™ is the first PILLAR designation, with more on the way. Whether you work for a corporate end user, a service provider or an economic development organization, it’s a chance to formally recognize the work you already do and keep building on it alongside peers.
See the calendar of upcoming Skills Paths, plus PILLAR’s on-demand courses, webinars and intensives, at iamc.org/pillar.