ESR Europe Acquires Last-Mile Logistics Asset in France From Barings
Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has agreed the sale of a last-mile logistics asset in Savigny-le-Temple, France, to ESR Europe, acting on behalf of its value-add discretionary fund ARA Europe Active Real Estate Fund V. The sale was made on behalf of PELV, a pan-European logistics joint venture between a U.S. insurance company and a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund targeting core+/value-add assets, managed by Barings.
The 22,582 sq m property was acquired by Barings in June 2018 as part of a two-asset logistics portfolio. Built in 2004, the warehouse meets grade A logistics standards and is located in the “Parc d’activités du Bois des Saints-Pères” – an established industrial park with over 300,000 sq m of logistics space spread across 268 hectares. The facility includes a clear height of 12.35 metres, 23 dock doors, a 35-metre manoeuvring yard, and multiple operating licences. The asset has been acquired with vacant possession and will be repositioned by the buyer through an ambitious capex programme including additional ESG credentials.
Strategically situated within France’s key logistics corridor from Lille to Marseille, often referred to as the "logistics backbone", the asset offers direct connectivity in c. 40mn to Paris via the A5 and A6 highways and benefits from Orly Airport just 30 km away.
Barings was advised by Oudot (notary), DLA-Piper (tax), CoStrategic (ICPE); ESR Europe was advised by EOL (commercial), Le Breton (notary), Racine (tax), Andine (ICPE) and IREO (Technical DD)..
Both parties agreed not to disclose financial information.
Guillaume Bieganski, Managing Director and Country Head France at Barings Real Estate, said: “Savigny-le-Temple is a high-quality asset in one of France’s most dynamic logistics markets, and its successful sale reflects both investor appetite for core+ assets and the strength of our local execution capabilities. The logistics market in France remains an attractive one for Barings given the fundamentals of the sector, and we’re continuing to explore opportunities in logistics as well as our other preferred sectors of residential and prime offices in city centre locations.”
Rob Fairfax, Director and Portfolio Manager for PELV, said: “This latest disposal on behalf of PELV demonstrates the strength of our asset management proposition amid changing economic conditions. With Barings’ approach of combining on-the-ground expertise with global insights, we’re well placed to continue to look for further opportunities on the buy-side targeting Core+ industrial and logistics assets in our target jurisdictions, being France, the UK, Nordics, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.”
Quentin Kerrault, Head of Investment at ESR Europer “We are delighted to add the Savigny asset into our value-add portfolio in France. Our investment thesis centers around large, established conurbations and, by leveraging the e-commerce boom and creating high-quality facilities, we’ve maintained high occupancy and rental growth in our assets. Another key aspect of our approach in France has been the aggregation of assets to create value. By building a diversified portfolio, we not only mitigate risk but also enhance the price premium of its holdings.”
For Barings
Ben Monteith/Tom Carnegie (SEC Newgate)
baringsRE@secnewgate.co.uk
Barings Real Estate
Barings Real Estate (BRE) is a part of Barings and offers a broad range of global investment opportunities across the private debt and equity investment markets. BRE invests in all major property sectors and offers an expansive range of financing solutions to real estate borrowers. Follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/showcase/barings-alternative-investments.
About Barings
Barings is a $442+ billion* global asset management firm that partners with institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients, and supports leading businesses with flexible financing solutions. The firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, seeks to deliver excess returns by leveraging its global scale and capabilities across public and private markets in fixed income, real assets and capital solutions.
*As of March 31, 2025
About ESR Europe
ESR Europe is the European platform of ESR Group, a global real estate investment manager with a leading position in New Economy in Asia-Pacific with c. US$140bn of AUM. ESR Europe operates across the UK and Western Europe, bringing over 30 years of real estate investment and asset management experience delivered by a highly skilled in- house team. Our vehicles include public markets, equity and credit discretionary funds, joint ventures and separate accounts.