Richard Allen Speaks at USC’s Lusk Center Event on Industrial Real Estate and Logistics

SAN DIEGO, CA (May 2, 2006) — Accelerating global trade, particularly between the United States and Asia, is increasing demand for multi-modal logistics hubs in America, said Richard S. Allen, Chief Executive Officer of The Allen Group, at a University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate event held today in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Allen’s comments came during the fifth “Lusk100 Annual Retreat” of senior industry leaders from across California and the nation. The retreat provides a forum for discussion and analysis of real estate markets and regulatory and other issues.

Given The Allen Group’s specialization in developing rail-served industrial parks, particularly in Texas and California, home to some of the busiest ports in the U.S., Richard Allen was invited to address the impact of global trade on real estate. Other speakers at the event included industry icon Sam Zell, Chairman of Equity Group Investments, LLC.

Mr. Allen’s remarks focused on how global trade acceleration is affecting demand patterns for industrial real estate in the U.S., including demand for high-tech, big-box, multi-modal distribution facilities in close proximity to ports.

“The volume of shipments through West Coast ports is higher than it’s ever been,” Allen said, “and the pattern is likely to continue as globalization matures. In this environment, manufacturers, distributors and retailers rely on increasingly sophisticated logistics centers and transportation partners to move goods efficiently through the U.S. To be in the industrial real estate business today is to be in the logistics business, the automation business, the transportation planning business, and the foreign-trade law business, among others.”