EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. today announced its first acquisition, purchasing 110 Southeast Inner Loop Road in Georgetown, Texas for $60.9 million. EQRT acquired the property with proceeds from the sale of 6.22 million Class E units of its operating partnership to EQT Exeter Holdings US, Inc., an affiliate of EQRT’s sponsor.
The 449,642 square-foot property is fully occupied by GAF Energy LLC (“GAF Energy”), a leading producer of solar roofing, on a long-term lease. The newly built, cutting-edge warehouse was completed in 2023 and features 106 doors, a 36-foot-tall ceiling, 123 trailer parking spaces, and more than 500 total parking spaces. As GAF Energy noted when announcing the completion of construction, the increased capacity and production enabled by this new manufacturing and distribution facility will make GAF Energy one of the largest producers of solar roofing in the world.
“This property is strategically located in a key regional distribution center just outside Austin, TX. The location offers access to large and diverse markets with a highly educated and skilled workforce, and GAF Energy intends to employ over 240 people at this facility,” said Ali Houshmand, EQRT Portfolio Manager. “The EQRT investment strategy seeks to acquire primarily stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the industrial sector across the United States. This transaction reaffirms our commitment to that strategy.”
EQT Exeter CEO Ward Fitzgerald said, “We are thrilled to complete EQRT’s first acquisition. Given the current interest rate environment and consequent attractive property valuations, we are pursuing a number of similar deals. We look forward to continuing to make well-timed, strategic acquisitions across key submarkets in the U.S., capitalizing on our fresh start and lack of the legacy issues seen in our industry right now.”
EQRT is externally advised by Exeter Property Group, LLC (“EQT Exeter”), the real estate division of EQT AB, a purpose-driven global investment organization. EQRT focuses on properties that can leverage EQT Exeter’s scale and long-standing direct leasing relationships with Fortune 1000 companies. EQRT will generally seek to invest approximately 80% in properties with business tenants, such as industrial or life science properties, and approximately 20% in real estate assets with consumer users, such as multifamily or self-storage properties.