Blake Potolicchio, Co-Chief Investment Officer

More than a dozen years of experience in real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financing, asset management, and leasing. Prior to Open Industrial Blake spent 15 years spearheading a local private equity real estate fund’s strategic direction focused on acquisitions, entitlement, leasing and asset management.

• Introduction and Welcome (00:04:30)
  • Blake is welcomed to the show and expresses gratitude for the invitation.
• Blake’s Role and Responsibilities (00:04:40)
  • Blake describes his role as co-chief investment officer at Open Industrial.
• Investment Strategy Overview (00:04:50)
  • Discussion on acquiring heavy industrial zoned land for outdoor storage and its significance.
• Average Deal Size (00:05:15)
  • Blake shares insights on the average deal size and the strategy of high volume, small check sizes.
• Impact of COVID-19 (00:05:50)
  • The importance of their tenants during COVID-19 and the supply chain disruptions experienced.
• Challenges in Finding Suitable Sites (00:06:15)
  • Blake discusses the difficulties in finding sites that meet zoning and user requirements.
• Motivation Behind Founding Open Industrial (00:06:45)
  • Personal motivations and the market conditions that led to the establishment of Open Industrial.
• Identifying Market Opportunities (00:07:30)
  • Blake explains how zoning and limited availability create market opportunities for outdoor storage.
• Economic Viability and Investment Perspective (00:08:15)
  • Discussion on the economic aspects and long-term viability of their investment strategy.
• Acquisition Strategy and Market Focus (00:10:30)
  • Blake outlines the geographic focus and strategy of the acquisitions team at Open Industrial.
• Background and Education (00:11:15)
  • Blake shares his upbringing, education, and the importance of learning in his early years.
• Family Background (00:12:00)
  • Details about Blake’s family, including his mother’s real estate career and father’s medical profession.
• College Experience (00:12:15)
  • Blake discusses his college experience at the College of the Holy Cross and his athletic involvement.
• Career Aspirations Post-College (00:14:00)
  • Blake reflects on his uncertainty about career paths after college and his initial interest in medicine.
• Internship Experience (00:15:30)
  • Blake describes his internship at JLL and the various aspects of real estate he explored.
• Interest in Real Estate (00:16:15)
  • Discussion on what spa...