Ares and PSP Investments' JV to Invest Up to $2.4 B in US Logistics Properties
NEW YORK & MONTREAL - Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board announced today the establishment of a joint venture to invest up to $2.4 billion in U.S. logistics real estate, according to a press release statement.
The partnership combines an Ares Real Estate fund with PSP Investments, one of Canada’s largest pension investors with C$320.6 billion of net assets under management as of March 31, 2026. The joint venture will target cash-flowing assets in high-growth markets.
The venture includes a seed portfolio of 5.2 million square feet comprising 14 properties across California, Texas and New Jersey. Marq Logistics, Ares Real Estate’s logistics platform, will lead sourcing and manage the assets within the joint venture. Marq Logistics manages a portfolio of over 2,250 properties totaling more than 655 million square feet.
"This joint venture with a leading institutional investor like PSP Investments underscores the strong positioning that Ares has established across our U.S. logistics footprint," said Dave Fazekas, Head of North America Logistics in Ares Real Estate.
Laurence Bastien, Managing Director, Real Estate Investments, Americas at PSP Investments, stated: "The U.S. logistics sector benefits from durable demand drivers and structurally constrained supply in the submarkets that matter most."
Eastdil Secured Savills acted as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Ares. Cushman & Wakefield acted as financial advisor and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP acted as legal advisor to PSP Investments.
As of June 30, 2026, Ares Management Corporation had over $671 billion of assets under management with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
On Wednesday, PSP Investments and Ares issued a joint press release stating they are establishing a joint venture to invest up to $2.4 billion in US logistics real estate (all figures in US dollars):
NEW YORK and MONTRÉAL – September 16, 2026 – Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES), a leading global alternative investment manager, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (“PSP Investments”), one of Canada’s largest pension investors, announced today that an Ares Real Estate fund (“Ares”) and PSP Investments have established a new joint venture to invest up to $2.4 billion in logistics real estate opportunities in the U.S.
The joint venture combines Ares Real Estate’s vertically integrated logistics investment capabilities and established sourcing network across its extensive footprint with PSP Investments’ scaled capital and shared conviction in the U.S. logistics sector. The joint venture will target attractive, cash-flowing assets in high-growth markets and includes a 5.2 million-square-foot seed portfolio comprising 14 high-quality properties across key U.S. industrial hubs, including California, Texas and New Jersey.
Marq Logistics, which represents Ares Real Estate’s vertically integrated global logistics real estate platform and is a leader in the development and operation of modern logistics facilities, will lead sourcing and manage the assets within the joint venture.
“This joint venture with a leading institutional investor like PSP Investments underscores the strong positioning that Ares has established across our U.S. logistics footprint,” said Dave Fazekas, Head of North America Logistics in Ares Real Estate. “The acceleration of onshoring, buildout of digital infrastructure and growing influence of ecommerce continue strengthening the investment fundamentals for strategically placed logistics facilities. We are proud to expand Ares’ longstanding relationship with PSP Investments as we leverage our collective scale and experience to identify compelling deployment opportunities and deliver value for tenants, communities and investors.”
“Best-in-class operators, in sectors where our conviction is strongest — that is what our real estate strategy is built around, and this joint venture has both,” said Laurence Bastien, Managing Director, Real Estate Investments, Americas at PSP Investments. “The U.S. logistics sector benefits from durable demand drivers and structurally constrained supply in the submarkets that matter most. Partnering with Ares allows us to invest in high-quality assets at scale and alongside an operating platform with the capabilities to drive value at the asset level.”
Eastdil Secured Savills acted as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Ares. Cushman & Wakefield acted as financial advisor and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP acted as legal advisor to PSP Investments.
All figures in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders' long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of June 30, 2026, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had over $671 billion of assets under management, with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.ares.com.
About Marq Logistics
Marq Logistics is a global leader in the development and operation of modern logistics facilities and manages a portfolio of over 2,250 properties totaling more than 655 million square feet. With a mission to deliver institutional-quality logistics facilities and a consistent, best-in-class experience to customers around the world, Marq Logistics’ highly specialized and dedicated team provides a powerful combination of global scale with local expertise. Learn more about Marq Logistics at www.marqlogistics.com.
About PSP Investments
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) is one of Canada's largest pension investors with C$320.6 billion of net assets under management as of March 31, 2026. It manages a diversified global portfolio composed of investments in capital markets, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources, and credit investments. Established in 1999, PSP Investments manages and invests amounts transferred to it by the Government of Canada for the pension plans of the federal public service, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Reserve Force. Headquartered in Ottawa, PSP Investments has its principal business office in Montréal and offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. For more information, visit investpsp.com or LinkedIn.
PSP Investments and its strategic partner, Ares, are entering into a significant real estate deal.
As stated in the press release, the joint venture will target attractive, cash-flowing assets in high-growth markets and includes a 5.2 million-square-foot seed portfolio comprising 14 high-quality properties across key US industrial hubs, including California, Texas and New Jersey.
Dave Fazekas, Head of North America Logistics at Ares Real Estate states it well:
“The acceleration of onshoring, buildout of digital infrastructure and growing influence of ecommerce continue strengthening the investment fundamentals for strategically placed logistics facilities. We are proud to expand Ares’ longstanding relationship with PSP Investments as we leverage our collective scale and experience to identify compelling deployment opportunities and deliver value for tenants, communities and investors.”
Moreover, Laurence Bastien, Managing Director, Real Estate Investments, Americas at PSP Investments, explains why entering this JV with Ares was critical:
“Best-in-class operators, in sectors where our conviction is strongest — that is what our real estate strategy is built around, and this joint venture has both. The US logistics sector benefits from durable demand drivers and structurally constrained supply in the submarkets that matter most. Partnering with Ares allows us to invest in high-quality assets at scale and alongside an operating platform with the capabilities to drive value at the asset level.”
Recall, CPP Investments recently took up almost a fourth (US$968 million) of Ares' US$4 billion Japan Logistics Development Partners V LP (JDP V). That massive commitment means CPP Investments is an anchor investor in this fund, allowing it to capitalize on opportunities in the explosive growth of Japanese logistics properties (see my comment here).
Whether it's logistics properties in Japan, the US, or elsewhere, Marq Logistics, Ares Real Estate’s vertically integrated global logistics real estate platform, is a proven leader in the development and operation of modern logistics facilities.
That is why you are seeing CPP Investments and PSP Investments entering into big joint ventures with Ares or anchoring their fund to create a logistics platform.
Marq Logistics will lead sourcing and manage the assets within the joint venture with PSP.
That's what you want when entering a big joint venture, a top strategic partner co-investing alongside you, sourcing and managing these assets.
Anyway, take the time to watch a clip here where Dave Fazekas, Head of North America Logistics, Ares Real Estate (featured above), shares his view on why they search for the best risk-adjusted returns in the industrial real estate sector (2024).
Below, Head of Ares Real Estate Julie Solomon takes the stage at Bloomberg Invest to unpack the forces reshaping real assets amid rapid data center and AI demand. The panel explores why logistics, multifamily and self storage are benefiting from demand for New Economy sectors, how AI and e commerce are transforming global supply chains, the influence of power scarcity on digital infrastructure and the key factors that differentiate successful investors in a competitive market. More in the full interview.
Very smart lady; listen carefully to her insights.
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