By Joshua Burd
A former top real estate executive for Bed Bath & Beyond has joined JLL’s industrial team in the region, bringing decades of experience and expertise in logistics and supply chains.
The real estate services firm announced the hiring of Seth Geldzahler, who joins its ranks as a senior managing director. His move comes after 25 years with the retailer, where he rose to vice president of real estate and was responsible for a broad scope of related functions.
Geldzahler will work alongside David Knee, vice chairman and broker lead for JLL’s three-state Northeast industrial region, which is based in East Rutherford.
“Seth’s extraordinary experience across a broad range of intersecting real estate disciplines enables him to provide a holistic approach to client needs,” Knee said. “His deep understanding of retailer needs and the relationship between real estate and supply chain dynamics will be an invaluable asset to our team.”
JLL announced the hire while touting Geldzahler’s “deep understanding of the complex space-use, logistics and supply chain challenges faced by owners and occupiers in the rapidly evolving landscape.” With Bed Bath & Beyond, he oversaw the company’s real estate growth from fewer than 100 stores to 1,500 retail locations, both owned and leased, and oversaw nearly 5 million square feet of industrial distribution space, office space, contact centers and data centers.
He spent the past 10 years focused on industrial solutions for the Union-based retailer, according to a news release. JLL noted that Geldzahler has deep experience in leasing, sales and acquisitions, project management, financing, construction, supply chain management and legal and compliance issues, offering broad knowledge on all aspects of the retail business.
“I am excited to add my industry experience to the extensive JLL platform,” Geldzahler said. “The current environment provides owners and occupiers with a unique opportunity to re-approach strategies and tactics to achieve comprehensive solutions.”
Prior to Bed Bath & Beyond, Geldzahler worked as a commercial real estate attorney at Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti LLP and at the Resolution Trust Corp. He graduated cum laude from Tufts University and earned his juris doctor from Rutgers Law School Newark.
Geldzahler is a past trustee and current eastern division vice president, volunteer leadership, for the International Council of Shopping Centers.
