Inospace appoints regional directors

South Africa's leading owner and operator of serviced business and logistics parks, Inospace, has appointed two regional directors to lead the company's growth and transformation of multi-let industrial real estate into an innovative asset class.

?Reporting directly to the company's CEO, Inospace is now led by Jacques Weber in the Western Cape and David Bernstein in Johannesburg, its two regional portfolios.

Weber, a former City of Cape Town councillor with an impressive strategic and operational management background, has been with the company since 2019 and has brought his in-depth experience in private and public sector operations to the company.

He was recently appointed to head up Inospace's cutting-edge sales and leasing function in Cape Town as part of his management portfolio. "Over the last six months, the company has implemented a comprehensive technology-enabled property management system, and the grouping of operational and sales functions is already yielded vastly improved results", explains Weber, whose region has recently achieved a tenant occupancy of over 97% in its 220,000 square metre regional portfolio.

"It is a natural progression for our group's regional sales and leasing platform to fall under my team. We now handle that process end to end. And because we are such a client-centric team, can ensure nothing falls through the cracks from lead-to-lease," explains Weber.

This drive to optimise communication with clients is central to the way Inospace conducts business.

"It's not only what you communicate, but how and with whom. For instance, you need to communicate well with clients and internal teams. When you get in front of problems, and you deal with matters upfront, you can address a full solutions approach – and I believe that this is true in all businesses."

There is daily and weekly engagement and interaction, formal and informal, with clients at Inospace parks, with park managers, regularly asking, "How's business?" A simple question, yes, but one that empowers a park manager to meaningfully assist a client by knowing their market and the status quo.

Under Weber's eye, Inospace has successfully changed the landscape of depleted industrial zones, uplifting several of the city's oldest areas. "Coming from means that unique understanding of the landscape in which Inospace operates, especially when it comes to the upgrading and optimising of physical spaces."

Many people have started businesses in the aftermath of the pandemic, and numerous entrepreneurs are locating their start-ups at Inospace parks across the Cape Peninsula.

"Big property funds are not traditionally accessible by SMMEs. A main enabler of opportunity," Jacques explains, "is creating spaces that younger people can access; for example, smaller industrial units with shared facilities in a beautiful park."

In Johannesburg, Inospace recently appointed David Bernstein to head up its fast-growing portfolio. The company has doubled its portfolio in South Africa's leading industrial market by acquiring 13 new serviced business and logistics parks. Before Bernstein joined Inospace, he had concerns about commercial property investment in South Africa. But he needn't have worried.

?David explains, "Soon after I started, I realised that Inospace has a very clear model of what it's trying to achieve, which no one else is doing. This makes Inospace a market leader, known for a strong brand and a profound capacity for resilience."

Although a CA(SA) by training, almost all of David's professional experience has been on the property side of financial services – both locally and internationally.

As CFO of Heriot Properties Limited's Africa Fund, he became very involved in operations and asset management, tax, compliance, collections, and the development and management of properties across the continent.

David thrives on being part of a company with incredible growth during a pivotal and challenging time. He puts this down to innovation, flexibility and adaptability; to remain in touch with what clients want and need.

"During the pandemic, the office sector was decimated globally. Retail was damaged. But Inospace chose the growing multi-let industrial sector and offered a range of flexible offerings. The company provides a range of products which includes different size units from 50 square metres to 5,000 square metres and with varying rental periods including month-to-month leases.

Like his fellow Director in Cape Town, Bernstein believes strongly in Inospace's relentless client-centricity. "We don't call tenants' tenants'," he explains, "They are 'clients', and space is just one offering. What's more, we're heavily resourced. You won't find one portfolio manager managing hundreds of tenants. Dedicated individuals manage specific buildings and handle a wide range of issues as the go-to person permanently situated at the park. That park is like their own business."

Bernstein's view is that data is one of the most valuable resources a company can have and that "the most up-to-date, relevant data comes directly from clients", as feedback, feelings, needs, and information on how their businesses are doing.

He says, "At Inospace, we use these insights as a barometer of how the economy is performing, what's doing well, what future clients will want, whom to target next, and at what price points. We look at the incentives and extras we can offer and examine their respective value chains to find ways to make them happier with us. We ask, 'Where else can we add value?'"

Rael Levitt, Chief Executive Officer at Inospace, says: "We are delighted that Weber and Bernstein are heading up our two regions. Their significant sector experience and deep understanding of our organisation will play a pivotal role in our ongoing growth as we look to meet the increasing demand for industrial and logistics real estate, facilitate faster delivery times and in turn support the growth of small, medium ?and large businesses."