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Industrial · Relocation · 2023

Vintage Brand — Out-of-State Relocation Against Cushman & Wakefield.

Cushman & Wakefield / EverWest
27,167 SF
Industrial · Apparel
60 mo
Term
C&W
Opposing Broker
— Full Case Study

Client Snapshot

  • Sector: Industrial / Apparel Manufacturing
  • Market: Nashville, TN
  • Deal Type: Industrial Relocation Lease
  • Size: 27,167 SF
  • Lease Term: 5 Years
  • Landlord Rep: Cushman & Wakefield

The Situation

Vintage Brand is an apparel manufacturer relocating its operations into the Nashville market from out of state. The company required a large-format industrial facility capable of supporting production operations, distribution staging, and a significant interior buildout — all on a timeline that had to align with the company's operational transition.

At 27,167 SF, this was a substantial requirement with material cost implications. Getting the lease structure right — particularly around TI responsibilities and buildout timing — was as important as getting the rate.

The Challenge

Out-of-state relocations create a specific set of risks that local transactions do not:

The client had no existing Nashville market presence, no local broker relationships, and no direct knowledge of the submarket. They were entirely dependent on their representation.

The buildout required for apparel manufacturing — production layout, loading infrastructure, utility requirements — is not standard. Finding a facility that minimized retrofit cost while meeting operational specifications was critical.

Cushman & Wakefield, representing the landlord EverWest Real Estate, is a sophisticated institutional brokerage with significant leverage in the market.

Buildout timing had to be coordinated precisely with the client's operational transition. A lease that commenced before the buildout was complete would mean paying rent on a space that couldn't yet operate.

Our Process

The Giles Group applied its Define → Underwrite → Create Leverage → Execute framework to manage the complexity of an out-of-state relocation.

Define

Documented the client's production requirements in detail — clear height, loading dock count, power capacity, square footage, column spacing, and office component. Established a buildout timeline working backward from the required operational date to define the lease commencement structure needed.

Underwrite

Surveyed the Nashville industrial market for facilities that minimized infrastructure retrofit while meeting production specifications. Modeled total occupancy cost including base rent, NNN, TI responsibilities, and buildout timing across shortlisted options.

Create Leverage

Presented competing options to create negotiating pressure on the target landlord. Structured the TI negotiation to maximize landlord contribution toward buildout while maintaining rate discipline. Used the client's credit profile and lease term as leverage against Cushman & Wakefield's position.

Execute

Negotiated lease economics, TI responsibilities, and commencement structure through LOI and lease documentation. Coordinated buildout timing to ensure the lease structure protected the client's operational transition timeline.

Results At A Glance

Size: 27,167 SF

Lease Term: 5 years

Market: Nashville Airport Industrial Submarket

Landlord: EverWest Real Estate (institutional)

Opposing Broker: Cushman & Wakefield

TI Structure: Landlord-funded improvement contribution

Buildout Timing: Lease structured around production ramp-up timeline

Relocation: Successful out-of-state market entry — operations commenced on schedule

The Advisory Angle

The most common mistake in out-of-state relocations is treating them like a local transaction with a different zip code. They are not. The client has no market reference point, no existing relationships, and no ability to independently verify what they're being told. Their representation has to be the market.

The Giles Group brought local market knowledge, comparable transaction data, and a structured negotiation process to a client who was entirely new to the market. The TI structure secured offset a significant portion of the buildout cost that the client would otherwise have funded entirely out of pocket.

The lease commencement structure — aligned with the production ramp-up timeline — ensured that Vintage Brand did not pay for space before it could generate revenue. That alignment is not accidental. It comes from understanding the client's business first, then structuring the lease to fit it.

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