Link Logistics Reports Strong Industrial Real Estate Demand in Q1 2026
Link Logistics chief executive officer Luke J. Petherbridge highlighted robust leasing activity and favorable supply-demand dynamics in the first quarter of 2026 across the company’s North American warehouse and logistics real estate portfolio.
Leasing volume rose in Q1 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025, with a significant share of Link Logistics’ leasing roll generating active interest from prospective customers. “All of the data says that the enterprise is operating at an exceptional level,” Petherbridge said.
Three demand drivers are fueling leasing activity across Link Logistics’ last-mile warehouse and industrial real estate portfolio: e-commerce growth, manufacturing investment and data center expansion.
- E-commerce continues to be a structural tailwind: By the mid-2030s, half of the U.S. workforce will have grown up with same-day and next-day delivery as the norm, sustaining long-term occupier demand, Petherbridge noted.
- Manufacturing investment is generating significant leasing activity across key geographies. “We’re seeing strong manufacturing demand, whether it’s advanced manufacturing or defense spending, particularly in Texas, the Southeast and the Midwest,” Petherbridge noted.
- Data center growth is creating spillover demand for industrial space, as suppliers and service providers supporting that infrastructure require nearby warehouse facilities.
On the supply side, new warehouse development continues to moderate. “Supply continues to abate in the U.S. and we’re seeing demand proliferate,” Petherbridge said—a combination he expects to strengthen Link Logistics’ positioning through the second half of the year.
