Atterbury Publishes Practical Guide for CFOs Evaluating Industrial Property for Supply Chain Performance

Atterbury Highlights Hidden Operational Costs In Industrial Property Decisions

Atterbury, one of South Africa's leading property development and investment companies, has published a new guide aimed at CFOs and procurement managers navigating industrial property selection. The resource addresses a critical gap that often goes unnoticed — the disconnect between what a lease agreement outlines and what a facility truly costs to operate.

The financial impact of a poorly specified or badly located industrial facility rarely appears upfront. Instead, it emerges over time through transport inefficiencies, compliance challenges, and throughput limitations that compound across the duration of a lease. By the time these issues become visible, businesses are often already locked into operational and contractual commitments.

A Practical Framework For Smarter Site Selection

The guide outlines key factors that are frequently overlooked during site selection. These include transport access and interchange quality, essential facility specifications such as clear height, truck court depth, and dock configuration, as well as compliance and environmental infrastructure. It also emphasises the importance of aligning a development’s location with an organisation’s logistics network design.

Together, these considerations form a practical evaluation framework designed to help decision-makers assess the true operational viability of a site rather than relying solely on surface-level metrics.

A central focus of the guide is the distinction between purpose-built logistics facilities and repurposed industrial buildings. Atterbury explains that this difference becomes evident not in rental rates alone, but in operational performance — including throughput efficiency, scheduling reliability, and workforce productivity.

For the complete framework, including guidance on structuring a total occupancy cost assessment that goes beyond the rental figure, visit the following link:https://www.atterbury.co.za

About Atterbury

Atterbury is a South African property development, investment, and management company with nearly three decades of experience delivering prime mixed-use, commercial, retail, and industrial properties. Operating across Africa and into Europe, the company specialises in turnkey developments and long-term partnerships with leading retailers, corporates, and investors.

Contact Atterbury

Die Klubhuis, 2nd FloorCorner of 18th Street and Pinaster AvenueHazelwood, Pretoria, 0081