The spread of coronavirus and millions of job losses have put the real estate market on shaky ground. But one property sector shows no sign of a slowdown, even in the face of the pandemic. If anything, the North Texas industrial building market seems to be gaining ground as demand for consumer products and e-commerce soars in the area. “I believe the industrial market is going to be more insulated from the effects of the pandemic than the other property types,” said Jeff Thornton, regional senior vice president of Duke Realty. “There is clearly evidence that the industrial market continues to move forward. “At Duke alone, we have had more than a half-million square feet of leases during the pandemic,” said Thornton, whose firm owns multiple Dallas-Fort Worth area industrial properties. Duke Realty just did a major expansion with tech firm Samsung in one of its Coppell warehouse buildings. Big warehouse and distribution deals have recently been announced all over the area for companies including Ocean Spray, Mars Inc., U.S. Auto Parts Network, ICU Medical, and FedEx. The pandemic has increased demand for distribution space for e-commerce companies that deliver products directly to consumers, said Tom Pearson, executive vice president of Colliers International. “Just a 5% increase in e-commerce sales would equate to millions of square feet of new industrial space requirements around the country,” Pearson said. Click to read more at www.dallasnews.com.