Working Together Through Challenging Times While Giving Back to the Community

4 min readAug 19, 2020

Succeeding and Contributing Together in Challenging Times

Sky REM has been working in the real estate sector for over three decades. Over the years the company has developed a diverse portfolio of properties around the United States. Together with our tenants and partners we work to unlock the hidden potential of each property and to make a positive social impact.

It all began when we purchased and renovated 691 Madison Street, Brooklyn, a safe-housing complex for adults with developmental disabilities run by the Independent Living Association. Sky REM saw this project not only as a business opportunity, but as a chance to contribute to an exceptional organization that provides first-class care and accommodation to its residents and their families. Since then, we have had the privilege of working with many more tenants that serve the private and public sectors in multiple fields including the medical industry, manufacturing and distribution, and public safety.

During these unprecedented and uncertain times, we have all been working together to provide value, assistance, and stability wherever possible. I would like to dedicate this post to the devoted Sky REM team and to our tenants who have been doing beyond what seems possible to positively impact our society in this challenging period.

Partnering with Medical Tenants to Help Fight Covid-19

As part of our effort to assist in the battle against the pandemic, Sky REM has accelerated crucial improvements to Medline at the Meriden, CT facility. Medline is a top distributor of medical equipment and supplies in the US. The fast-tracked improvements have allowed Medline to be operational 24/7 and support medical professionals and hospitals when they need it most.

Another strategic partnership formed recently is with Genesis Diagnostics, one of our major tenants in the medical field. In the early days of the pandemic, Genesis received approval from the Office of the Director of Bucks County Department of Health to provide Covid-19 tests at our Oxford Court Medical Office in Pennsylvania. This facility was one of the first private clinical labs in the US to market state approved Covid-19 tests. We are continuing to work with the department of health to make tests even more accessible and to answer additional medical needs.

Working with Manufacturers to Make Sure Essential Supplies Reach Their Destination

One of Sky REM’s industrial properties in Fayetteville, North Carolina is occupied by Keeco, a top home textile company that manufactures and distributes critical bedding and pillows to the public and private sectors. The same property is also the distribution center of Landair Logistics, a major food distributor. To optimize distribution and make sure all tenants can continue to operate despite the pandemic, we have added 18 loading docks to the site.

In Florida we collaborated with our tenant Pella Windows, a hurricane and impact resistant windows manufacturer, to ensure that their manufacturing and distribution facilities remain fully operational throughout the pandemic. We have also been working with several other retail tenants to help ensure that their logistics and supply chains remain intact. Among them are AMCE, TJX Companies, Bob’s Mountain Sports, Checkpoint Systems, Waterford Wedgewood Fine China, Fosdick Fulfilment and Kittrich Corp. These companies, and others, have all been working tirelessly to continue to provide value and avoid interruptions to their business operations. We will continue to do all we can to support their efforts.

Contributing to Public Safety

Our Quartermaster complex in Philadelphia is occupied by the Department of Labor, the GSA, Pennsylvania State Police, and US Homeland Security. Sky REM has been working with these tenants to help safeguard the campus. We have also put a range of policies and procedures in place to make sure that the tenants of our many residential properties remain safe while going about their daily lives and enjoying local services and community amenities.

Promoting Sustainability

Among other things, the pandemic has highlighted the need to transform global perspectives on energy use and to accelerate the development of alternative, clean and renewable energy sources. Our affiliate SKY Power, which develops and invests in clean energy technologies, is pushing forward with the development of two projects in Connecticut despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic. One of the two has already been completed ahead of schedule, and the other is on track to be completed next month. In addition, Sky Power is continuing full steam ahead on its mission to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of all Sky owned properties. By joining forces with tenants, it provides cost-saving solutions while maintaining a positive impact on the environment.