Commercial real estate in Las Vegas is being reshaped by a fundamental shift in how companies manage inventory, according to industry experts who gathered at a Southern Nevada chapter event of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association on August 20.

Speaking at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Ruben Ramirez, head of occupier services for the Americas Industrial and Logistics division at CBRE, told hundreds of local commercial real estate professionals that companies are moving away from just-in-time inventory methodology toward just-in-case strategies that maintain larger safety stockpiles.

Disruption is the new baseline, Ramirez said, pointing to trade volatility, tariff instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, port congestion, closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and inflationary pressures as drivers of the shift. He noted that year-to-date, port-proximate warehouse absorption has hit a 15-year low, while the center of the United States is emerging as a new epicenter for distribution hubs.

John Kirkman, managing senior director and supply chain advisory leader at CBRE, explained that just-in-case inventory places stock closer to consumption. Midcontinent markets like Columbus, Ohio, Kansas City, and Dallas are benefiting as companies move from one or two large coastal hubs to three or four regional distribution centers.

For Las Vegas, the trend has mixed implications. The city’s proximity to the Port of Long Beach and Southern California’s logistics network has historically made it attractive for warehousing and distribution. However, the shift toward midcontinent hubs could redirect some demand away from coastal-adjacent markets.

Third-party logistics companies are increasingly dominating industrial leasing, Ramirez said, as businesses use them to test liability in new markets and automation. Distribution centers in a just-in-case supply chain are adding 15 to 25 percent more square footage for the same throughput compared to just-in-time operations.

The panel discussion, titled Navigating the Modern Supply Chain, was hosted by CREDA’s Southern Nevada chapter and drew UNLV students and other stakeholders alongside industry professionals. The event underscored how global supply chain strategy increasingly shapes local real estate markets in Southern Nevada.

Sources: Vegas Inc / Las Vegas Sun, Vegas Inc Business News.