First Industrial 10-K2021 FY Annual report

(312) 344-4300

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

At February 17, 2022, 131,781,076 shares of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.'s Common Stock, $0.01 par value, were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part III incorporates certain information by reference to First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.'s definitive proxy statement expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.'s fiscal year.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), and First Industrial, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the "Operating Partnership"). Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, the terms "we," "our" and "us" refer to the Company and its subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The Company is a real estate investment trust and the general partner of the Operating Partnership. At December 31, 2021, the Company owned an approximate 97.8% common general partnership interest in the Operating Partnership. The remaining approximate 2.2% common limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership are owned by limited partners. The limited partners of the Operating Partnership are persons or entities who contributed their direct or indirect interests in properties to the Operating Partnership in exchange for limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership and recipients of RLP Units (as defined in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) of the Operating Partnership pursuant to the Company's Stock Incentive Plan (as defined in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements). As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, the Company exercises exclusive and complete discretion over the Operating Partnership's day-to-day management and control and can cause it to enter into certain major transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and refinancings. The management of the Company consists of the same members as the management of the Operating Partnership.

The Company and the Operating Partnership are managed and operated as one enterprise. The financial results of the Operating Partnership are consolidated into the financial statements of the Company. The Company has no significant assets other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Substantially all of the Company's assets are held by, and its operations are conducted through, the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of the Company and the Operating Partnership are substantially the same.

We believe it is important to understand the differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how the Company and the Operating Partnership operate as an interrelated, consolidated company. The main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of the Company and those of the Operating Partnership are:

We believe combining the Company's and Operating Partnership's annual reports into this single report results in the following benefits:

To help investors understand the differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership, this report provides the following separate disclosures for each of the Company and the Operating Partnership:

This report also includes separate Part II, Item 9A, Controls and Procedures sections and separate Exhibits 31 and 32 certifications for the Company and the Operating Partnership in order to establish that the requisite certifications have been made and that the Company and the Operating Partnership are both compliant with Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. §1350.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. is a self-administered and fully integrated real estate company which owns, manages, acquires, sells, develops and redevelops industrial real estate. The Company is a Maryland corporation organized on August 10, 1993 and a real estate investment trust ("REIT") as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"). As of December 31, 2021, our in-service portfolio consisted of 404 industrial properties, containing an aggregate of approximately 60.7 million square feet of gross leasable area ("GLA") located in 19 states.

We began operations on July 1, 1994. The Company's operations are conducted primarily through the Operating Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership formed on November 23, 1993 of which the Company is the sole general partner (the "General Partner"), with an approximate 97.8% ownership interest ("General Partner Units") at December 31, 2021. The Operating Partnership also conducts operations through the Other Real Estate Partnerships, numerous limited liability companies ("LLCs") and certain taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs"), the operating data of which, together with that of the Operating Partnership, is consolidated with that of the Company as presented herein. The Company does not have any significant assets or liabilities other than its investment in the Operating Partnership and its 100% ownership interest in the general partners of the Other Real Estate Partnerships. Noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership of approximately 2.2% at December 31, 2021, represents the aggregate partnership interest held by the limited partners thereof ("Limited Partner Units" and together with the General Partner Units, the "Units").

We also own equity interests in, and provide various services to joint ventures (the "Joint Ventures"), through a wholly-owned TRS of the Operating Partnership. The Joint Ventures are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The operating data of the Joint Ventures is not consolidated with that of the Company or the Operating Partnership as presented herein. One of the Joint Ventures sold its remaining acres of land and ceased operations during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Our fundamental business objective is to maximize the total return to the Company's stockholders and the Operating Partnership's partners by increasing our cash flow and property values. Our long-term business growth plans include the following elements:

Our ability to pursue our long-term growth plans is affected by market conditions and our financial condition and operating capabilities. See "Summary of Significant Transactions in 2021" under Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

We utilize the following strategies in connection with the operation of our business:

In connection with the acquisition of industrial properties and land for development, we compete with other public industrial property sector REITs, income-oriented non-traded REITs, private real estate funds and other real estate investors and developers, some of which have greater financial resources than we do or other competitive advantages relative to us. Such competition may result in an increase in the amount we must pay to acquire a property or may require us to forgo an investment in a property that would otherwise meet our investment criteria. We also face significant competition in leasing available properties to prospective tenants and in re-leasing space to existing tenants. As a result, we may have to provide rent concessions, incur expenses for tenant improvements or offer other inducements to enable us to timely lease vacant space, all of which may have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

We are focused on building and maintaining a socially responsible and sustainable business that succeeds by delivering long-term value for our stockholders. We continuously look for new and better ways to minimize our environmental impact as well as that of our tenants. We have an established committee (the "Corporate Responsibility Committee") consisting of members of our team across a range of functions responsible for advising senior management, Audit Committee and our Board of Directors on various matters related to sustainability, social responsibility and other non-financial issues that are of significance to us and our stockholders.

Because we primarily net lease the properties in our portfolio to our tenants whereby each tenant is ultimately responsible for maintaining the leased property, one of our key corporate responsibility priorities is to engage with and encourage our tenants to implement environmentally sustainable practices, such as the use of energy and water efficient fixtures and recycling programs. Additionally, as we add properties to our portfolio or enhance existing facilities, environmental sustainability is a key consideration of our efforts to improve or develop such properties. We have obtained LEED certification for certain recent development projects and are also pursuing LEED certification for the vast majority of our new development projects through a LEED volume program. We extend the same commitment to environmental excellence to our own offices, promoting sustainable practices and energy efficiency that can both reduce environmental impact and achieve lower operating costs. Our headquarters office in Chicago is an energy-efficient LEED-certified building.

Social responsibility and engagement is an integral part of our business, as we are committed to developing and maintaining strong relationships with our customers, business partners, investors, and the communities in which we operate and invest. In addition, we aim to provide a positive work environment for our employees by offering competitive compensation, quality benefit offerings including health and wellness and retirement plans and financial education, and career training and growth opportunities.

Our governance efforts are led by our Board of Directors, which is elected by our stockholders to oversee their interest in the long-term financial strength and overall success of the Company, exercising its members' business judgment using their collective experience, knowledge and skills. Directors must fulfill their responsibilities as members of the Board of Directors consistent with their fiduciary duty to our stockholders, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The Board of Directors provides advice and counsel to the Chief Executive Officer and other senior officers of the Company. The Board of Directors ensures that the assets of the Company are properly safeguarded, that appropriate financial and other controls are maintained, and that the Company's business is conducted wisely and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

At December 31, 2021, we had 162 employees, 99% of whom are full-time employees. The average tenure of our workforce is approximately 11 years.

In addition to the sustainability efforts overseen by the Corporate Responsibility Committee, the committee also advises on ways to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, protect the health and safety of our employees and engage our surrounding communities. We are an equal opportunity employer and, as such, promote an equitable workplace that acknowledges and values differences in race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, abilities and religious beliefs. We apply these policies throughout our organization, including at the senior management level and in our composition of our Board of Directors. We believe such diversity of experience and background helps make us strong and achieve our mission to create long-term shareholder value by providing industrial real estate solutions that mutually benefit our customers and our stockholders. The membership of our Board of Directors is 43% diverse by gender and race.

In managing our business, we focus on attracting and retaining employees by providing compensation and benefits packages that are competitive within the applicable market, taking into account the skills required, responsibilities and geographic location. All employees are eligible to participate in one of our incentive plans, under which payments are tied to pre-established performance goals. In addition, we believe that developing each of our employees’ skillsets and decision-making abilities—through challenging project assignments, formal training, mentorship, and recognition—is key not only to our employees’ performance, job satisfaction and our retention efforts, but also to maintaining a strong leadership pipeline.

Our principal executive offices are located at One North Wacker, 42nd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Our telephone number is (312) 344-4300.

Copies of our respective annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports that we file with the SEC are available without charge as soon as reasonably practicable on our website at www.firstindustrial.com. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, charters of each committee of the Board of Directors, along with supplemental financial and operating information prepared by us, are all available without charge on the Company's website or upon request to the Company. Amendments to, or waivers from, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that apply to our executive officers or directors will also be posted to our website. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this report or any other report or document we file with or furnish to the SEC.

Risks Related to our Business:

Real estate investments fluctuate in value depending on conditions in the general economy and the real estate industry. These conditions may limit our revenues and available cash.

The factors that affect the value of our real estate and the revenues we derive from our properties include, among other things:

Our investments in real estate assets are concentrated in the industrial sector, and the demand for industrial space in the United States is related to the level of economic output. Accordingly, reduced economic output may lead to lower occupancy rates for our properties. In addition, if any of our tenants experiences a downturn in its business that weakens its financial condition, delays lease commencement, fails to make rental payments when due, becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy, the result could be a termination of the tenant's lease, which could adversely affect our cash flow from operations. These factors may be amplified by a disruption of financial markets or more general economic conditions.

Many real estate costs are fixed, even if income from properties decreases.

We may be unable to renew leases or find other tenants on advantageous terms or at all.

We may be unable to acquire real estate on advantageous terms or acquisitions may not perform as we expect.

We have routinely acquired real estate from third parties as conditions warrant and, as part of our business, we intend to continue to do so. The acquisition of properties entails various risks, including risks that our investments may not perform as expected and that our cost estimates for bringing an acquired property up to market standards, if necessary, may prove inaccurate. Further, we face significant competition for attractive investment opportunities from other well-capitalized real estate investors, including publicly-traded REITs and private investors. This competition increases as investments in real estate become attractive relative to other forms of investment. As a result of competition, we may be unable to acquire additional real estate and purchase prices may increase. In addition, we expect to finance future acquisitions through a combination of borrowings under the Unsecured Credit Facility, proceeds from equity or debt offerings and debt originations and proceeds from property sales, which may not be available. Any of the above risks could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units.

We may obtain only limited warranties when we purchase a property and would have only limited recourse in the event our due diligence did not identify any issues that lower the value of our property.

We may be unable to sell properties when appropriate or at all because real estate investments are not as liquid as certain other types of assets.

We may be unable to sell properties on advantageous terms.

We may be unable to complete development and re-development projects on advantageous terms.

As part of our business, we develop new properties and re-develop existing properties as conditions warrant. This part of our business involves significant risks, including the following:

To the extent these risks result in increased debt service expense, construction costs and delays in budgeted leasing, they could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units.

We may incur unanticipated costs and liabilities due to environmental problems.

Under various federal, state and local laws and regulations, we may, as a current or previous owner, developer or operator of real estate, be liable for the costs of clean-up of certain conditions relating to the presence of hazardous or toxic materials on, in or emanating from a property and any related damages to natural resources. Environmental laws and regulations often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic materials. The presence of such materials, or the failure to address those conditions properly, may adversely affect our ability to rent or sell a property or to borrow using a property as collateral. The disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic materials, or the arrangement of such disposal or treatment, may cause us to be liable for the costs of clean-up of such materials or for related natural resource damages occurring at or emanating from an off-site disposal or treatment facility, whether or not the facility is owned or operated by us. No assurance can be given that existing environmental assessments with respect to any of our properties reveal all environmental liabilities, that any prior owner or operator of any of our properties did not create any material environmental condition not known to us or that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist as to any of our properties. Moreover, there can be no assurance that (i) changes to existing laws and regulations will not impose any material environmental liability or (ii) the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by customers, by the condition of land or operations in the vicinity of our properties (such as releases from underground storage tanks), or by third parties unrelated to us.

All of our properties were subject to a Phase I or similar environmental assessment by independent environmental consultants at the time of acquisition. Phase I assessments are intended to discover and evaluate information regarding the environmental condition of the surveyed property and surrounding properties. Phase I assessments generally include a historical review, a public records review, an investigation of the surveyed site and surrounding properties, and preparation and issuance of a written report, but do not include soil sampling or subsurface investigations and typically do not include an asbestos survey. While some of these assessments have led to further investigation and sampling, none of our environmental assessments of our properties have revealed an environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations taken as a whole. However, we cannot give any assurance that such conditions do not exist or may not arise in the future. Material environmental conditions, liabilities or compliance concerns may arise after the environmental assessment has been completed.

Environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. also require that owners or operators of buildings containing asbestos properly manage and maintain the asbestos, adequately inform or train those who may come into contact with asbestos and undertake special precautions, including removal or other abatement, in the event that asbestos is disturbed during building renovation or demolition. These laws and regulations may impose fines and penalties on building owners or operators who fail to comply with these requirements and may allow third parties to seek recovery from owners or operators for personal injury associated with exposure to asbestos. Some of our properties may contain asbestos-containing building materials.

We invest in properties historically used for industrial, manufacturing and commercial purposes. Some of these properties contain, or may have contained, underground storage tanks for the storage of petroleum products and other hazardous or toxic substances. All of these operations create a potential for the release of petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances. Some of our properties are adjacent to or near other properties that may have contained or currently contain underground storage tanks used to store petroleum products, or other hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, previous or current occupants of our properties, including but not limited to, our tenants, and adjacent properties may have engaged, or may in the future engage, in activities that may release petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances.

We have a portfolio environmental insurance policy that provides coverage for potential unknown environmental liabilities, subject to the policy's coverage conditions and limitations, for most of our properties. From time to time, we may acquire properties or interests in properties, with known adverse environmental conditions where we believe that the environmental liabilities associated with these conditions are quantifiable and that the acquisition will yield a superior risk-adjusted return. In such an instance, we underwrite the costs of environmental investigation, clean-up and monitoring into the cost. Further, in connection with property dispositions, we may agree to remain responsible for, and to bear the cost of, remediating or monitoring certain environmental conditions on the properties.

We may incur significant costs complying with various federal, state and local laws, regulations and covenants that are applicable to our properties and, in particular, costs associated with complying with regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the "ADA") may result in unanticipated expenses.

In addition, under the ADA, all places of public accommodation are required to meet certain U.S. federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in an order to correct any non-complying feature, which could result in substantial capital expenditures. We do not conduct audits or investigations of all of these properties to determine their compliance and we cannot predict the ultimate cost of compliance with the ADA, or other legislation. If one or more of our properties in which we invest is not in compliance with the ADA, or other legislation, then we would be required to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. If we incur substantial costs to comply with the ADA or other legislation, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, our ability to satisfy debt service obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units could be adversely affected.

Adverse market and economic conditions could cause us to recognize impairment charges.

We regularly review our real estate assets for impairment indicators, such as a decline in a property's occupancy rate, decline in general market conditions or a change in the expected hold period of an asset. If we determine that indicators of impairment are present, we review the properties affected by these indicators to determine whether an impairment charge is required. As a result, we may be required to recognize asset impairment, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We use considerable judgment in making determinations about impairments, from analyzing whether there are indicators of impairment, to the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of the investment. Accordingly, our subjective estimates and evaluations may not be accurate, and such estimates and evaluations are subject to change or revision.

We could be subject to risks and liabilities in connection with joint venture arrangements.

The occurrence of one or more of the events described above could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units.

We own certain properties subject to ground leases that expose us to the loss of such property upon breach or termination of the ground lease.

We own the building and improvements and lease the land underlying the improvements under several long-term ground leases. We could lose our interests in the properties if the ground leases are breached by us, terminated or lapse. As we get closer to the lease termination dates, the values of the properties could decrease without an extension in place. Certain of these ground leases have payments subject to annual escalations and/or periodic fair market value adjustments which could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.

We are exposed to the potential impacts of future climate change.

We are exposed to potential physical risks from possible future changes in climate. We have significant investment in properties in coastal markets such as Southern California, Northern California and South Florida and have also targeted those markets for future growth. Our properties, especially the coastal market properties, may be exposed to rare catastrophic weather events, such as severe storms, drought, earthquakes, floods, wildfires or other extreme weather events. If the frequency of extreme weather events increases, our exposure to these events could increase and could impact our tenants' operations and their ability to pay rent. We carry comprehensive insurance coverage to mitigate our casualty risk, in amounts and of a kind that we believe are appropriate for the markets where each of our properties and their business operations are located given climate change risk.

We may be adversely impacted as a real estate owner, manager and developer in the future by potential impacts to the supply chain or stricter energy efficiency standards or greenhouse gas regulations for the commercial building sectors. Compliance with new laws or regulations relating to climate change, including compliance with “green” building codes, may require us to make improvements to our existing properties or result in increased operating costs that we may not be able to effectively pass on to our tenants. Any such laws or regulations could also impose substantial costs on our tenants, thereby impacting the financial condition of our tenants and their ability to meet their lease obligations and to lease or re-lease our properties. We cannot give any assurance that other such conditions do not exist or may not arise in the future. The potential impacts of future climate change on our real estate properties could adversely affect our ability to lease, develop or sell such properties or to borrow using such properties as collateral.

Financing and Capital Risks:

Disruptions in the financial markets could affect our ability to obtain financing and may negatively impact our liquidity, financial condition and operating results.

Failure to comply with covenants in our debt agreements could adversely affect our financial condition.

Upon the occurrence of an event of default, we would be subject to higher finance costs and fees, and the lenders under our Unsecured Credit Facility will not be required to lend any additional amounts to us. In addition, our indebtedness, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, could be accelerated and declared to be immediately due and payable. Furthermore, our Unsecured Credit Facility, our unsecured term loans and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes contain certain cross-default provisions that may be triggered in the event that our other material indebtedness is in default. These cross-default provisions may require us to repay or restructure our Unsecured Credit Facility, our unsecured term loans or our senior unsecured notes (which includes our private placement notes), depending on which is in default, and such restructuring could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units. If repayment of any of our indebtedness is accelerated, we cannot provide assurance that we would be able to borrow sufficient funds to refinance such indebtedness or that we would be able to sell sufficient assets to repay such indebtedness. Even if we were able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms, or terms that are acceptable to us.

Adverse changes in our credit ratings could negatively affect our liquidity and business operations.

The credit ratings of our senior unsecured notes are based on our operating performance, liquidity and leverage ratios, overall financial position and other factors employed by the credit rating agencies in their rating analyses. Our credit ratings can affect the availability, terms and pricing of any indebtedness we may incur or preferred stock that we might issue going forward. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain any credit rating and, in the event any credit rating is downgraded, we could incur higher borrowing costs or may be unable to access certain or any capital markets.

We may have to make lump-sum payments on our existing indebtedness.

We are required to make lump-sum or "balloon" payments under the terms of some of our indebtedness. Our ability to make required payments of principal on outstanding indebtedness, whether at maturity or otherwise, may depend on our ability to refinance the applicable indebtedness or to sell properties. Currently, we have no commitments to refinance any of our indebtedness.

Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may adversely affect our results of operations.

In the normal course of business, we use derivatives to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility on debt instruments, including hedging for future debt issuances.  At other times we may utilize derivatives to increase our exposure to floating interest rates. There can be no assurance that these hedging arrangements will have the desired beneficial impact.  These arrangements, which can include a number of counterparties, may expose us to additional risks, including failure of any of our counterparties to perform under these contracts, and may involve extensive costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if we terminate them. Hedging may reduce the overall returns on our investments, which could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders and unitholders. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.  No strategy can completely insulate us from the risks associated with interest rate fluctuations.

Our mortgages may impact our ability to sell encumbered properties on advantageous terms or at all.

Certain of our mortgages contain, and some future mortgages may contain, substantial prepayment premiums that we would have to pay upon the sale of a property, thereby reducing the net proceeds to us from the sale of any such property. As a result, our willingness to sell certain properties and the price at which we may desire to sell a property may be impacted. If we are unable to sell properties on favorable terms or redeploy the proceeds of property sales in accordance with our business strategy, then our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, the market price of the Company's common stock and the market value of the Units could be adversely affected.

Earnings and cash dividends, asset value and market interest rates affect the price of the Company's common stock.

The market value of the Company's common stock is based in large part upon the market's perception of the growth potential of the Company's earnings and cash dividends. The market value of the Company's common stock is also based upon the value of the Company's underlying real estate assets. For this reason, shares of the Company's common stock may trade at prices that are higher or lower than the Company's net asset value per share. To the extent that the Company retains operating cash flow for investment purposes, working capital reserves, or other purposes, these retained funds, while increasing the value of the Company's underlying assets, may not correspondingly increase the market price of the Company's common stock. The Company's failure to meet the market's expectations with regard to future earnings and the payment of cash dividends/distributions likely would adversely affect the market price of the Company's common stock. Further, the distribution yield on the common stock (as a percentage of the price of the common stock) relative to market interest rates may also influence the market price of the Company's common stock. An increase in market interest rates might lead prospective purchasers of the Company's common stock to expect a higher distribution yield, which would adversely affect the market price of the Company's common stock. Any reduction in the market price of the Company's common stock would, in turn, reduce the market value of the Units.

Future sales or issuances of our common stock may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The Company is authorized to issue preferred stock. The issuance of preferred stock could adversely affect the holders of the Company's common stock issued pursuant to its public offerings.

The Company's Board of Directors may change its strategies, policies or procedures without stockholder approval, which may subject us to different and more significant risks in the future.

Certain provisions of our charter and bylaws could hinder, delay or prevent a change in control of our company.

The Company might fail to qualify as a REIT under existing laws and/or federal income tax laws could change.

The Company intends to operate so as to qualify as a REIT under the Code, and we believe that the Company is organized and will operate in a manner that allows us to continue to do so. However, qualification as a REIT involves the satisfaction of numerous requirements, some of which must be met on a recurring basis. These requirements are established under highly technical and complex Code provisions. There are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations of these provisions, and they involve the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control.

If the Company were to fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company would be subject to federal income tax at corporate rates. This could result in a discontinuation or substantial reduction in distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, could reduce the cash available to pay interest and principal on debt securities and make further investments in real estate. Unless entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions, the Company would be disqualified from electing treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which the Company failed to qualify.

The IRS, the United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review federal income tax legislation, and we cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new federal laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted. Additional changes to tax laws are likely to continue to occur in the future and any such legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify the Company's tax treatment and therefore, may adversely affect taxation of us and/or our stockholders and unitholders. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our properties. Stockholders and unitholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisor with respect to the impact of recent legislation, the status of legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals, and their potential effect on ownership of our shares.

Certain property transfers may generate prohibited transaction income, resulting in a penalty tax on the gain attributable to the transaction.

As part of our business, we sell properties to third parties as opportunities arise. Under the Code, a 100% penalty tax could be assessed on the tax gain recognized from sales of properties that are deemed to be prohibited transactions. The question of what constitutes a prohibited transaction is based on the facts and circumstances surrounding each transaction. The IRS could contend that certain sales of properties by us are prohibited transactions. While we have implemented controls to avoid prohibited transactions, if a dispute were to arise that was successfully argued by the IRS, the 100% penalty tax could be assessed against the Company's profits from these transactions.

The REIT distribution requirements may limit our ability to retain capital and require us to turn to external financing sources.

As a REIT, the Company must distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of its taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and by excluding any net capital gain) to our stockholders each year and we may be subject to tax to the extent our taxable income is not fully distributed. The Company could, in certain instances, have taxable income without sufficient cash to enable it to meet this requirement. In that situation, we could be required to borrow funds or sell properties on adverse terms in order to do so. The distribution requirement could also limit our ability to accumulate capital to provide capital resources for our ongoing business, and to satisfy our debt repayment obligations and other liquidity needs, we may be more dependent on outside sources of financing, such as debt financing or issuances of additional capital stock, which may or may not be available on favorable terms. Additional debt financings may substantially increase our leverage and additional equity offerings may result in substantial dilution of stockholders' and unitholders' interests.

We may pay some taxes.

The current pandemic of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the future outbreak of other highly infectious or contagious diseases, may adversely affect our business.

Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may affect the market for the Company's common stock, the industry in which we conduct our operations and our profitability.

Our business could be adversely impacted if we have deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting.

The design and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may not prevent all errors, misstatements or misrepresentations. While management will continue to review the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, there can be no guarantee that our internal control over financial reporting will be effective in accomplishing all control objectives all of the time. Deficiencies, including any material weakness, in our internal control over financial reporting which may occur could result in misstatements of our results of operations, restatements of our financial statements, a decline in the price/value of our securities, or otherwise materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

We may be unable to retain and attract key management personnel.

At December 31, 2021, we owned 410 industrial properties of which 404 were classified as in-service. The 404 in-service industrial properties contained an aggregate of approximately 60.7 million square feet of GLA in 19 states, with a diverse base of more than 950 tenants engaged in a wide variety of businesses, including e-commerce, third-party logistics and transportation, consumer and other manufactured products, retail and consumer services, food and beverage, lumber and building materials, wholesale goods, health services, governmental and other. Our in-service portfolio includes all properties that have reached stabilized occupancy (defined as properties that are 90% leased), (re)developed properties upon the earlier of reaching 90% occupancy or one year from the date construction is completed and acquired properties that are at least 75% occupied at acquisition, unless we anticipate tenant move-outs within two years of ownership would drop occupancy below 75%. Acquired properties that are less than 75% occupied at acquisition or with tenants that we anticipate will move out within the first two years of ownership are placed in service upon the earlier of reaching 90% occupancy or one year after move out. The average annual base rent per square foot for our in-service portfolio, calculated at December 31, 2021, was $5.97. The properties are generally located in business parks that have convenient access to interstate highways and/or rail and air transportation. We maintain insurance on our properties that we believe is adequate.

We classify our properties into four industrial categories: bulk warehouse, regional warehouse, light industrial and R&D/flex. While some properties may have characteristics which fall under more than one property type, we use what we believe is the most dominant characteristic to categorize the property. Individual properties may be reclassified over time due to changes in building characteristics such as tenant use and office space build-out.

The following describes, generally, the different industrial categories:

The following tables summarize, by market, certain information as of December 31, 2021, with respect to the in-service properties.

In-Service Property Summary Totals

_______________

As of December 31, 2021, 24 of our 404 in-service industrial properties, with a net carrying value of $133.6 million, are pledged as collateral under our mortgage financings, totaling $79.8 million, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Schedule III for additional information.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we moved seven development properties totaling approximately 0.9 million square feet of GLA to our in-service portfolio at a total cost of approximately $98.2 million. Included in the total cost is $5.4 million of leasing commissions. The capitalization rate for these development projects, calculated using the estimated stabilized net operating income (excluding straight-line rent adjustments) divided by the total investment in the developed property is 6.6%. The placed in-service development projects have the following characteristics:

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold 29 industrial properties comprising approximately 2.9 million square feet of GLA, at a weighted average capitalization rate of 5.9%, and one land parcel for total gross sales proceeds of approximately $243.4 million. The capitalization rate for the 29 industrial property sales is calculated by taking revenues of the property (excluding straight-line rent adjustments, lease inducement amortization and above and below market lease amortization) less operating expenses of the property for a period of the last twelve full months prior to sale and dividing the sum by the sales price of the property. The sold industrial properties have the following characteristics:

We have a diverse base of more than 950 tenants engaged in a wide variety of businesses including e-commerce, third-party logistics and transportation, consumer and other manufactured products, retail and consumer services, food and beverage, lumber and building materials, wholesale goods, health services, governmental and other. At December 31, 2021, our leases have a weighted average lease length of 7.3 years and the majority provide for periodic rent increases that are either fixed or based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. Industrial tenants typically have net or semi-net leases and pay as additional rent their percentage of the property's operating costs, including the costs of common area maintenance, insurance, property taxes and utilities. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 98.1% of the GLA of our in-service properties was leased, and no single tenant or group of related tenants accounted for more than 6.8% of our rent revenues, nor did any single tenant or group of related tenants occupy more than 5.8% of the total GLA of our in-service properties.

Leasing Activity

Lease Expirations

_______________

PART II

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices per share of the Company's common stock, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "FR" and the dividends declared per share for the Company's common stock and the distributions declared per Unit for the Operating Partnership's Units. There is no established public trading market for the Units.

In order to comply with the REIT requirements of the Code, the Company is generally required to make common share distributions and preferred share distributions (other than capital gain distributions) to its shareholders in amounts that together at least equal i) the sum of a) 90% of the Company's "REIT taxable income" computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and net capital gains and b) 90% of net income (after tax), if any, from foreclosure property, minus ii) certain excess non-cash income.

Our dividend/distribution policy is determined by the Company's Board of Directors and is dependent on multiple factors, including cash flow and capital expenditure requirements, as well as ensuring that the Company meets the minimum distribution requirements set forth in the Code. The Company met the minimum distribution requirements with respect to 2021.

Holders of Units are entitled to receive distributions when, as and if declared by the Company's Board of Directors, after the priority distributions required under the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement have been made with respect to preferred partnership interests in the Operating Partnership out of any funds legally available for that purpose.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Operating Partnership issued 337,685 Limited Partner Units in connection with the issuance of equity compensation, inclusive of Limited Partner Units issued related to dividends accrued on the underlying common stock, to certain employees and directors. See Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Subject to certain lock-up periods, holders of Limited Partner Units can redeem their Units by providing written notification to the General Partner of the Operating Partnership. Unless the General Partner provides notice of a redemption restriction to the holder, redemption must be made within seven business days after receipt of the holder's notice. The redemption can be effectuated, as determined by the General Partner, either by exchanging the Limited Partner Units for shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, or by paying cash equal to the fair market value of such shares. Prior requests for redemption have generally been fulfilled with shares of common stock of the Company, and the Operating Partnership intends to continue this practice. If each Limited Partner Unit of the Operating Partnership were redeemed as of December 31, 2021, the Operating Partnership could satisfy its redemption obligations by making an aggregate cash payment of approximately $194.3 million or by issuing 2,935,203 shares of the Company's common stock.

The following graph provides a comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return among the Company, the FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Total Return Index (the "NAREIT Index") and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ("S&P 500"). The NAREIT Index represents the performance of our publicly traded REIT peers. The historical information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of future performance.

_______________

Summary of 2021

In 2021, we completed the following significant real estate activities:

We completed the following financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2021:

Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2021 to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Our net income was $277.2 million and $200.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The tables below summarize our revenues, property expenses and depreciation and other amortization by various categories for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Same store properties are properties owned prior to January 1, 2020 and held as an in-service property through December 31, 2021 and developments and redevelopments that were placed in service prior to January 1, 2020. Properties which are at least 75% occupied at acquisition are placed in service, unless we anticipate the tenants to move out within the first two years of ownership. Acquisitions that are less than 75% occupied at the date of acquisition, developments and redevelopments are placed in service as they reach the earlier of a) stabilized occupancy (defined as 90% occupied), or b) one year subsequent to acquisition or development/redevelopment construction completion. Acquired properties with occupancy greater than 75% at acquisition, but with tenants that we anticipate will move out within two years of ownership, will be placed in service upon the earlier of reaching 90% occupancy or twelve months after move out. Properties are moved from the same store classification to the redevelopment classification when capital expenditures for a project are estimated to exceed 25% of the undepreciated gross book value of the property. Acquired properties are properties that were acquired subsequent to December 31, 2019 and held as an operating property through December 31, 2021. Sold properties are properties that were sold subsequent to December 31, 2019. (Re)Developments include developments and redevelopments that were not: a) substantially complete 12 months prior to January 1, 2020; or b) stabilized prior to January 1, 2020. Other revenues are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company and other miscellaneous revenues. Other property expenses are derived from the operations of properties not placed in service under one of the categories discussed above, the operations of our maintenance company, vacant land expenses and other miscellaneous regional expenses.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, one industrial property, comprising approximately 28 thousand square feet of GLA, was taken out of service due to a fire which caused complete destruction of the building. The results of this property are included in the (re)development classification. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we completed the rebuild of this property and as of December 31, 2019, the property was 100% leased. This property returned to the same store classification in the first quarter 2021.

Our future financial condition and results of operations, including rental revenues, may be impacted by the future acquisition, (re)development and sale of properties. Our future revenues and expenses may vary materially from historical rates.

 

A critical accounting policy is one that involves an estimate or assumption that is subjective and requires management judgment about the effect of a matter that is inherently uncertain and material to an entity's financial condition and results of operations. Of the significant accounting policies discussed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we believe the following policies relate to the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements:

At December 31, 2021, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $58.6 million. We also had $666.3 million available for additional borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility as of December 31, 2021.

We have considered our short-term (through December 31, 2022) liquidity needs and the adequacy of our estimated cash flow from operations and other expected liquidity sources to meet these needs. We have a $260.0 million term loan maturing in September 2022 and we have $69.2 million in mortgage loans payable outstanding at December 31, 2021 maturing in September 2022. We expect to satisfy these payment obligations on or prior to the maturity dates through the issuance of other debt or equity securities. With the exception of the $260.0 million term loan and the mortgage maturities, we believe that our principal short-term liquidity needs are to fund normal recurring expenses, property acquisitions, developments, renovations, expansions and other nonrecurring capital improvements, debt service requirements, the minimum distributions required to maintain the Company's REIT qualification under the Code and distributions approved by the Company's Board of Directors. We anticipate that these needs will be met with cash flows provided by operating activities as well as the disposition of select assets. These needs may also be met by the issuance of other debt or equity securities, subject to market conditions or borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility.

We expect to meet long-term (after December 31, 2022) liquidity requirements such as property acquisitions, developments, scheduled debt maturities, major renovations, expansions and other nonrecurring capital improvements through long-term unsecured and secured indebtedness, the disposition of select assets and the issuance of additional equity or debt securities, subject to market conditions.

As of February 17, 2022, we had approximately $570.3 million available for additional borrowings under our Unsecured Credit Facility. Our Unsecured Credit Facility contains certain financial covenants including limitations on incurrence of debt and debt service coverage. Our access to borrowings may be limited if we fail to meet any of these covenants. We believe that we were in compliance with our financial covenants as of December 31, 2021, and we anticipate that we will be able to operate in compliance with our financial covenants in 2022. However, these financial covenants are complex and there can be no assurance that these provisions would not be interpreted by our lenders and noteholders in a manner that could impose and cause us to incur material costs.

As of December 31, 2021, our senior unsecured notes have been assigned credit ratings from Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch Ratings of BBB/Stable, Baa2/Stable and BBB/Stable, respectively. A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating organization. In the event of a downgrade, we believe we would continue to have access to sufficient capital; however, our cost of borrowing would increase and our ability to access certain financial markets may be limited.

The following table lists our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2021:

_______________

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Environmental

Funds From Operations

Same Store Net Operating Income

From January 1, 2022 to February 17, 2022, we acquired two industrial buildings and one land parcel for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $21.8 million, excluding transaction costs.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its periodic reports pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required financial disclosure.

The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon this evaluation, the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective.

The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein within Item 15. See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

There has been no change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Operating Partnership maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its periodic reports pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required financial disclosure.

The Operating Partnership carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon this evaluation, the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, on behalf of the Company in its capacity as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, concluded that the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting was effective.

The effectiveness of the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein within Item 15. See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting.

(1 & 2) See Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule.

(3) Exhibits: The Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed in the Exhibit Index on page 46 to 48 of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference.