By Joshua Burd
Bridge Industrial has named a new director of acquisitions in the Northeast as part of a series of recent moves by the fast-growing logistics and warehouse space developer.
In the new role, Stefan Sansone will spearhead the pursuit of new leads, manage broker relationships and underwrite acquisitions within New Jersey and New York, according to a news release. He joins Bridge from Seagis Property Group LP, where he was responsible for asset management, sourcing and evaluation for value-add acquisitions in the outer boroughs of New York City and northern New Jersey.
The privately held developer and investment manager announced the new hire alongside the promotion of Cory Welper, who is now its acquisitions director for what it considers its central region. The latter will serve as Sansone’s counterpart for the Chicago and South Florida markets, with both reporting to Nick Siegel, who is leading Bridge’s nationwide acquisitions platform as a partner and oversees its overall investments and portfolio strategy.
“As we continue to focus on acquiring existing properties where we can generate significant value, we’re extremely excited to have Stefan and Cory lead our efforts in the Northeast and central regions as we expand our acquisition business in the months and years ahead,” said Steve Poulos, founder, CEO and partner of Chicago-based Bridge Industrial.
Sansone graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in real estate, the news release said. He is an active member of NAIOP and a junior board member of The Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis.
Since joining Bridge in 2020, Welper has been involved in 22.2 million square feet of successful industrial transactions, valued at $4.1 billion, across Bridge’s Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles and London markets.
“Bridge prides itself not only on cultivating top industrial talent, but also on finding seamless culture fits when hiring from outside the company,” Siegel said. “Stefan and Cory both represent exactly what we are looking for to lead our acquisitions efforts across the country, and I’m eager to work with both of them.”
Bridge also announced Monday the hiring of Henry Gruger as a senior analyst to support the newly established team, which will focus directly on expanding Bridge’s national acquisitions platform and value-add strategy. The formation of the group follows Siegel’s promotion last month and the firm’s first acquisition under the platform, a three-building, 336,852-square-foot industrial campus in Pompano Beach, Florida, last December.
As an analyst, Gruger will be responsible for all aspects of underwriting for Bridge’s national acquisition efforts, in addition to assisting with leasing, project marketing, coordinating debt and equity financing and the disposition process. He previously worked at Cushman & Wakefield on the office investment sales team, having graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a degree in business administration, specializing in finance, and is a member of NAIOP.
