Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

or

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 001-38106

PLYMOUTH INDUSTRIAL REIT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant in its charter)

260 Franklin Street, 7^th Floor

Boston, MA 02110

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(617) 340-3814

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☑

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☑    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§230.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☑    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)    Yes  ☐    No  ☑

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (based on the closing price reported on the NYSE American on June 30, 2017) was $65,573,081.

Shares held by all executive officers and directors of the registrant have been excluded from the foregoing calculation because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates of the registrant.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of March 5, 2018 was 3,819,201.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement relating to its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The registrant expects to file its Definitive Proxy Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 dates after December 31, 2017.

Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc.

Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We make statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are forward-looking statements, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies or prospects will be attained or achieved and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and may be affected by a variety of risks and factors including, without limitation:

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Glossary

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

Our definitions of Class A industrial properties, Class B industrial properties, primary markets and secondary markets may vary from the definitions of these terms used by investors, analysts or other industrial REITs.

PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

We are a full service, vertically integrated, self-administered and self-managed Maryland corporation focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of single and multi-tenant Class B industrial properties, including distribution centers, warehouses and light industrial properties, primarily located in secondary and select primary markets across the U.S. For our definition of Class B industrial properties, see “—Our Investment and Growth Strategies—Investment Strategy.” As of December 31, 2017, the Company Portfolio consists of 49 industrial properties located in nine states with an aggregate of approximately 9.2 million rentable square feet. The Company Portfolio was 96.5% leased to 82 different tenants across 17 industry types as of December 31, 2017.

We intend to continue to focus on the acquisition of Class B industrial properties primarily in secondary markets with net rentable square footage ranging between approximately 100 million and 300 million square feet, which we refer to as our target markets. We believe industrial properties in such target markets will provide superior and consistent cash flow returns at generally lower acquisition costs relative to industrial properties in primary markets. Further, we believe there is a greater potential for higher rates of appreciation in the value of industrial properties in our target markets relative to industrial properties in primary markets.

We believe our target markets provide us with opportunities to acquire both stabilized properties generating favorable cash flows, as well as properties where we can enhance returns through value-add renovations and redevelopment. We focus primarily on the following investments:

We believe there are a significant number of attractive acquisition opportunities available to us in our target markets and that the fragmented and complex nature of our target markets generally make it difficult for less-experienced or less-focused investors to access comparable opportunities on a consistent basis.

Our company, which was formerly known as Plymouth Opportunity REIT, Inc., was founded in March 2011 by two of our executive officers, Jeffrey Witherell and Pendleton White, Jr., each of whom has at least 25 years of experience acquiring, owning and operating commercial real estate properties. Specifically, both were members of a team of senior investment executives that was responsible for the acquisition and capital formation of commercial properties for Franklin Street Properties (NYSE: FSP), or Franklin Street, a REIT based in Boston, MA, from 2000 to 2007, during which time Franklin Street listed its stock on the American Stock Exchange. Following their time at Franklin Street, our founders recognized a growing opportunity in the Class B industrial space, particularly in secondary markets and select primary markets, following the 2008-2010 recession, and founded our company to participate in the cyclical recovery of the U.S. economy. Between March 2011 to April 2014, we prepared for and engaged in a non-listed public offering of our common stock. We used the proceeds from that offering to acquire equity interests in five industrial properties. In 2014, we used the proceeds of a senior secured loan to acquire 100% fee ownership in three of those properties and 100% fee ownership in an additional 17 properties that comprise a portion of the Company Portfolio. In July 2015 and January 2017, we sold our equity interests in the two properties in which we did not have 100% fee ownership.

In June 2017, we completed our initial listed public offering of our common stock. The net proceeds of our initial listed public offering were approximately $52.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering costs.  We used approximately $20.0 million of the net proceeds of the offering to redeem Torchlight’s preferred equity interests in one of our subsidiaries and substantially all of the remaining net proceeds to acquire nine additional industrial properties.

Investment Strategy

Our primary investment strategy is to acquire and own Class B industrial properties predominantly in secondary markets across the U.S. We generally define Class B industrial properties as industrial properties that are typically more than 15 years old, have clear heights between 18 and 26 feet and square footage between 50,000 and 300,000 square feet, with building systems that have adequate capacities to deliver the services currently needed by existing tenants, but may need upgrades for future tenants. In contrast, we define Class A industrial properties as industrial properties that typically are 15 years old or newer, have clear heights in excess of 26 feet and square footage in excess of 300,000 square feet, with energy efficient design characteristics suitable for current and future tenants.

We intend to own and acquire properties that we believe can achieve high initial yields and strong ongoing cash-on-cash returns and that exhibit the potential for increased rental growth in the near future. In addition, we may acquire Class A industrial properties that offer similar attractive return characteristics if the cost basis for such properties are comparable to those of Class B industrial properties in a given market or sub-market. While we will focus on investment opportunities in our target markets, we may make opportunistic acquisitions of Class A industrial properties or industrial properties in primary markets when we believe we can achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns.

We also intend to pursue joint venture arrangements with institutional partners which could provide management fee income as well as residual profit-sharing income. Such joint ventures may involve investing in industrial assets that would be characterized as opportunistic or value-add investments. These may involve development or re-development strategies that may require significant up-front capital expenditures, lengthy lease-up periods and result in inconsistent cash flows. As such, these properties’ risk profiles and return metrics would likely differ from the non-joint venture properties that we target for acquisition.

We believe we have a competitive advantage in sourcing attractive acquisitions because the competition for our target assets is primarily from local investors who are not likely to have ready access to debt or equity capital. In addition, our umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT, structure enables us to acquire industrial properties on a non-cash basis in a tax efficient manner through the issuance of OP units as full or partial consideration for the transaction. We will also continue to develop our large existing network of relationships with real estate and financial intermediaries. These individuals and companies give us access to significant deal flow—both those broadly marketed and those exposed through only limited marketing. These properties will be acquired primarily from third-party owners of existing leased buildings and secondarily from owner-occupiers through sale-leaseback transactions.

Growth Strategies

We seek to maximize our cash flows through proactive asset management. Our asset management team actively manages our properties in an effort to maintain high retention rates, lease vacant space, manage operating expenses and maintain our properties to an appropriate standard. In doing so, we have developed strong tenant relationships. We intend to leverage those relationships and market knowledge to increase renewals, properly prepare tenants for rent increases, obtain early notification of departures to provide longer re-leasing periods and work with tenants to properly maintain the quality and attractiveness of our properties. Our asset management team also collaborates with our internal credit function to actively monitor the credit profile of each of our tenants and prospective tenants on an ongoing basis.

Our asset management team functions include strategic planning and decision-making, centralized leasing activities and management of third-party leasing companies. Our asset management/credit team oversees property management activities relating to our properties which include controlling capital expenditures and expenses that are not reimbursable by tenants, making regular property inspections, overseeing rent collections and cost control and planning and budgeting activities. Tenant relations matters, including monitoring of tenant compliance with their property maintenance obligations and other lease provisions, will be handled by in-house personnel for most of our properties.

Financing Strategy

We intend to maintain a flexible and growth-oriented capital structure. We intend to use the net proceeds from our public offerings along with additional secured and unsecured indebtedness to acquire industrial properties. Our additional indebtedness may include arrangements such as a revolving credit facility or term loan. We believe that we will have the ability to leverage newly-acquired properties with our long-term target debt-to-value ratio of less than 50%. We also anticipate using OP units to acquire properties from existing owners interested in tax-deferred transactions.

Investment Criteria

We believe that our market knowledge, operations systems and internal processes allow us to efficiently analyze the risks associated with an asset’s ability to produce cash flow going forward. We blend fundamental real estate analysis with corporate credit analysis to make a probabilistic assessment of cash flows that will be realized in future periods. We also use data-driven and event-driven analytics and primary research to identify and pursue emerging investment opportunities.

Our investment strategy focuses on Class B industrial properties in secondary markets for the following reasons:

Regulation

General

Our properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including regulations relating to common areas and fire and safety requirements. We believe that we have the necessary permits and approvals to operate each of our properties.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Our properties must comply with Title III of the ADA to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” as defined under the ADA. Under the ADA, all public accommodations must meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The ADA may require removal of structural barriers to access by persons with disabilities in certain public areas of our properties where such removal is readily achievable. Although we believe that the properties in the Company Portfolio in the aggregate substantially comply with present requirements of the ADA, and we have not received any notice for correction from any regulatory agency, we have not conducted a comprehensive audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine whether we are in compliance and therefore we may own properties that are not in compliance with the ADA.

ADA compliance is dependent upon the tenant’s specific use of the property, and as the use of a property changes or improvements to existing spaces are made, we will take steps to ensure compliance. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in additional costs to attain compliance, imposition of fines by the U.S. government or an award of damages or attorney’s fees to private litigants. The obligation to make readily achievable accommodations is an ongoing one, and we will continue to assess our properties and to make alterations to achieve compliance as necessary.

Environmental Matters

The Company Portfolio is subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws. Under these laws, courts and government agencies have the authority to require us, as owner of a contaminated property, to clean up the property, even if we did not know of or were not responsible for the contamination. These laws also apply to persons who owned a property at the time it became contaminated, and therefore, it is possible we could incur these costs even after we sell some of the properties we acquire. In addition to the costs of cleanup, environmental contamination can affect the value of a property and, therefore, an owner’s ability to borrow using the property as collateral or to sell the property. Under applicable environmental laws, courts and government agencies also have the authority to require that a person who sent waste to a waste disposal facility, such as a landfill or an incinerator, pay for the clean-up of that facility if it becomes contaminated and threatens human health or the environment.

Furthermore, various court decisions have established that third parties may recover damages for injury caused by property contamination. For instance, a person exposed to asbestos at one of our properties may seek to recover damages if he or she suffers injury from the asbestos. Lastly, some of these environmental laws restrict the use of a property or place conditions on various activities. An example would be laws that require a business using chemicals to manage them carefully and to notify local officials that the chemicals are being used.

We could be responsible for any of the costs discussed above. The costs to clean up a contaminated property, to defend against a claim, or to comply with environmental laws could be material and could adversely affect the funds available for distribution to our stockholders. We usually require Phase I or similar environmental assessments by independent environmental consultants at the time of acquisition of a property. We generally expect to continue to obtain a Phase I or similar environmental site assessments by independent environmental consultants on each property prior to acquiring it. However, these environmental assessments may not reveal all environmental costs that might have a material adverse effect on our business, assets, results of operations or liquidity and may not identify all potential environmental liabilities.

We can make no assurances that (1) future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose material environmental liabilities on us, or (2) the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by tenants, the condition of land or operations in the vicinity of our properties (such as releases from underground storage tanks), or by third parties unrelated to us.

Insurance

We carry commercial property, liability and terrorism coverage on all the properties in the Company Portfolio under a blanket insurance policy. Generally, we do not carry insurance for certain types of extraordinary losses, including, but not limited to, losses caused by riots, war, earthquakes and wildfires unless the property is in a higher risk area for those events. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits are appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and standard industry practice, however, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to fully cover all of our losses. In addition, our title insurance policies may not insure for the current aggregate market value of the Company Portfolio, and we do not intend to increase our title insurance coverage as the market value of the Company Portfolio increases.

Competition

In acquiring our properties, we compete with other public industrial property sector REITs, income oriented non-traded REITs, private real estate fund managers and local real estate investors and developers. The last named group, local real estate investors and developers, historically has represented our dominant competition for acquisition opportunities. Many of these entities have greater resources than us or other competitive advantages. We also face significant competition in leasing available properties to prospective tenants and in re-leasing space to existing tenants.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017, we had eleven full-time employees. None of our employees are represented by a labor union.

Legal Proceedings

We are not currently a party, as plaintiff or defendant, to any material legal proceedings. From time to time, we may become party to various lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. There can be no assurance that these matters that may arise in the future, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Structure and Formation of Our Company

Our Company

We were formed as a Maryland corporation in March 2011 and previously conducted business as Plymouth Opportunity REIT, Inc. We conduct our business through an UPREIT structure in which our properties are owned by our operating partnership directly or through subsidiaries, as described below under “—Our Operating Partnership.” We are the sole general partner of our operating partnership and indirectly own 90.1% of the OP units in our operating partnership and all of the membership interests in its subsidiaries. Our board of directors oversees our business and affairs.

Our Operating Partnership

Our operating partnership was formed as a Delaware limited partnership in March 2011. Substantially all of our assets are held by, and our operations are conducted through, our operating partnership. Any net proceeds from our public offerings will be contributed to our operating partnership in exchange for OP units. Our interest in our operating partnership will generally entitle us to share in cash distributions from, and in the profits and losses of, our operating partnership in proportion to our percentage ownership. As the sole general partner of our operating partnership, we generally have the exclusive power under the partnership agreement to manage and conduct its business and affairs, subject to certain limited approval and voting rights of the limited partners.

Our Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 260 Franklin Street, 7^th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Our telephone number is (617) 340-3814. Our website is www.plymouthreit.com.We electronically file our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Access to those reports and other filings with the SEC may be obtained, free of charge from our website, www.plymouthreit.com or through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These reports are available as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed or furnished to the SEC.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risk factors have been omitted as permitted under rules applicable to smaller reporting companies.

Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

The following table provides certain information with respect to the Company Portfolio, as of December 31, 2017.

_______________

As of December 31, 2017, 35 of our 49 properties were encumbered by mortgage indebtedness totaling $229,800 million and 10 of our 49 properties were encumbered by our line of credit agreement totaling $21,325 (excluding unamortized deferred financing fees and debt issuance costs). See Note 7 in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Functionality Diversification

The following tables set forth information relating to functionality diversification by building type based on total square footage and annualized rent as of December 31, 2017.

Geographic Diversification

The following tables set forth information relating to geographic diversification of the Company Portfolio by state based on total annualized rent as of December 31, 2017.

Industry Diversification

The following tables set forth information relating to tenant diversification of the Company Portfolio by industry based on total square feet occupied and annualized rent as of December 31, 2017.

Tenants

The following table sets forth information about the ten largest tenants in our Company Portfolio based on total annualized rent as of December 31, 2017.

Lease Overview

Triple-net lease.    In our triple-net leases, the tenant is responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term. The landlord may have responsibility under the lease to perform or pay for certain capital repairs or replacements to the roof, structure or certain building systems, such as heating and air conditioning and fire suppression. The tenant may have the right to terminate the lease or abate rent due to a major casualty or condemnation affecting a significant portion of the property or due to the landlord’s failure to perform its obligations under the lease. As of December 31, 2017, there were 64 triple-net leases in the Company Portfolio, representing approximately 75.6% of our total annualized base rent.

Modified triple-net lease.    In our modified triple-net leases, the landlord is responsible for some property related expenses during the lease term, but the cost of most of the expenses is passed through to the tenant. The tenant may have the right to terminate the lease or abate rent due to a major casualty or condemnation affecting a significant portion of the property or due to the landlord’s failure to perform its obligations under the lease. As of December 31, 2017, there were 11 modified triple-net leases in the Company Portfolio, representing approximately 13.8% of our total annualized base rent.

Gross lease.    In our gross leases, the landlord is responsible for all aspects of and costs related to the property and its operation during the lease term. The tenant may have the right to terminate the lease or abate rent due to a major casualty or condemnation affecting a significant portion of the property or due to the landlord’s failure to perform its obligations under the lease. As of December 31, 2017, there were 16 gross leases in the Company Portfolio, representing approximately 10.6% of the annualized base rent.

Lease Expirations

As of December 31, 2017, the weighted average in-place remaining lease term of the Company Portfolio was 3.1 years. The following table sets forth a summary schedule of lease expirations for leases in place as of December 31, 2017, plus available space, for each of the ten full calendar years commencing December 31, 2017 and thereafter. The information set forth in the table assumes that tenants exercise no renewal options and no early termination rights.

____________________

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

In the normal course of business, we could become party to legal actions and proceedings involving matters that are generally incidental to our business. While it will likely not be possible to ascertain the ultimate outcome of such matters, management expects that the resolution of any such legal actions and proceedings would not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

There are no legal proceedings at this time.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Stockholder Information

As of March 8, 2018, we had 3,819,201 shares of common stock outstanding held of record by a total of approximately 130 stockholders; however, because many shares of our common stock are held by brokers andother institutions on behalf of stockholders, we believe there are substantially more beneficial holders of our comon stock than record holders. The number of stockholders is based on the records Continental Stock Transfer & Trust, which serves as our transfer agent.

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the NYSE American under the symbol “PLYM.” On December 31, 2017, the closing price of our common stock, as reported on the NYSE American, was $18.48. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low sale prices of our common stock since June 14, 2017, the date our common stock began trading on the NYSE American, and the dividends paid by us and the annualized dividend per share with respect to those periods.

_________________

Distribution Policy

It is our policy to declare quarterly dividends to the stockholders so as to comply with applicable provisions of the Code governing REITs. The declaration and payment of quarterly dividends remains subject to the review and approval of the board of directors. To satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT, and to avoid paying tax on our income, we have paid and intend to continue to pay regular quarterly cash dividends of all or substantially all of our REIT taxable income (excluding net capital gains) to holders of our common stock.

We intend to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income each year (subject to certain adjustments as described below) to our stockholders in order to qualify as a REIT under the Code and generally expect to distribute 100% of our REIT taxable income so as to avoid the excise tax on undistributed REIT taxable income.

Distributions to our common stockholders are authorized by our board of directors in its sole discretion and declared by us out of funds legally available therefor. We expect that our board of directors, in authorizing the amounts of distributions, will consider a variety of factors, including:

We anticipate that at least initially, our distributions will exceed our then current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes primarily due to depreciation and amortization that we expect to incur. Therefore, a portion of these distributions may represent a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits and not treated by us as a distribution will not be taxable to a taxable U.S. stockholder under current U.S. federal income tax law to the extent those distributions do not exceed the stockholder's adjusted tax basis in his or her shares of common stock, but rather will reduce the adjusted basis of the shares of common stock. Therefore, the gain (or loss) recognized on the sale of the common stock or upon our liquidation will be increased (or decreased) accordingly. To the extent those distributions exceed a taxable U.S. stockholder's adjusted tax basis in his or our shares of common stock, they generally will be treated as a capital gain realized form the taxable disposition of those shares. The percentage of our stockholder distributions that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits may vary substantially from year to year.

Although we have no current intention to do so, we may in the future also choose to pay distributions in the form of our own shares.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

None.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

None.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Selected financial data has been omitted as permitted under rules applicable to smaller reporting companies.

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis is based on, and should be read in conjunction with our audited historical financial statements and related notes thereto as of and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Overview

We are a full service, vertically integrated, self-administered and self-managed REIT focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of single- and multi-tenant Class B industrial properties, including distribution centers, warehouses and light industrial properties. The Company Portfolio consists of 49 industrial properties located in nine states with an aggregate of approximately 9.2 million rentable square feet leased to 82 different tenants.

Our strategy is to invest in single- and multi-tenant Class B industrial properties located primarily in secondary markets across the U.S.; however, we may make opportunistic acquisitions of Class A industrial properties or industrial properties located in primary markets. We seek to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our stockholders through a combination of dividends and capital appreciation.

Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations

Business and Strategy

Our core investment strategy is to acquire primarily Class B industrial properties predominantly in secondary markets across the U.S. We expect to acquire these properties through third-party purchases and structured sale-leasebacks where we believe we can achieve high initial yields and strong ongoing cash-on-cash returns. In addition, we may make opportunistic acquisitions of Class A industrial properties or industrial properties in primary markets that offer similar return characteristics.

Our target markets are comprised primarily of secondary markets because we believe these markets tend to have less occupancy and rental rate volatility and less buyer competition relative to primary markets. We also believe that the systematic aggregation of such properties will result in a diversified portfolio that will produce sustainable risk-adjusted returns. Future results of operations may be affected, either positively or negatively, by our ability to effectively execute this strategy.

We also intend to pursue joint venture arrangements with institutional partners which could provide management fee income as well as residual profit-sharing income. Such joint ventures may involve investing in industrial assets that would be characterized as opportunistic or value-add investments. These may involve development or re-development strategies that may require significant up-front capital expenditures, lengthy lease-up periods and result in inconsistent cash flows. As such, these properties’ risk profiles and return metrics would likely differ from the non-joint venture properties that we target for acquisition.

Rental Revenue and Tenant Recoveries

We receive income primarily from rental revenue from our properties. The amount of rental revenue generated by the Company Portfolio depends principally on the occupancy levels and lease rates at our properties, our ability to lease currently available space and space that becomes available as a result of lease expirations and on the rental rates at our properties.

Occupancy Rates.    As of December 31, 2017, the Company Portfolio was approximately 96.5% occupied. Our occupancy rate is impacted by general market conditions in the geographic areas which our properties are located and the financial condition of tenants in our target markets.

Rental Rates.    We believe that rental rates for Class B industrial properties in our markets continue to recover from the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent economic recession, and accordingly we expect increases in lease rates upon renewal of upcoming lease expirations as market conditions continue to improve. Future economic downturns affecting our markets could impair our ability to renew or re-lease space, and adverse developments that affect the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations, such as tenant bankruptcies, could adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase occupancy or rental rates at our properties. Adverse developments or trends in one or more of these factors could adversely affect our rental revenue in future periods.

Scheduled Lease Expirations

Our ability to re-lease space subject to expiring leases will impact our results of operations and will be affected by economic and competitive conditions in the markets in which we operate and by the desirability of our individual properties. During the period from January 1, 2018 through to December 31, 2020, an aggregate of 52.8% of the annualized base rent leases in the Company Portfolio are scheduled to expire, which we believe will provide us an opportunity to adjust below market rates as market conditions continue to improve.

We have historically been able to quickly and efficiently lease vacant space in the Company Portfolio. During 2016 and 2017, leases for space totaling 506,275 square feet (5.5% of the Company Portfolio) either was subject to renewal or expired. Approximately 95% of the expired space was renewed and an additional 50,061 square feet was leased long term with new tenants. At December 31, 2017, the vacancy rate of the Company Portfolio was 3.5% factoring in the vacancy rate associated with the properties acquired in the third and fourth quarter of 2017.

During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017, we negotiated 12 leases with durations in excess of six months encompassing 459,690 square feet and negotiated one lease with a duration of less than six months encompassing 21,153 square feet. Renewed leases made up 79.4% of the square footage covered by the 12 leases in excess of 6 months, and the rent under the renewed leases increased an average of 5.3% over the prior leases.  Leases to new tenants comprised the other 20.6% of the square footage covered by the 12 leases in excess of 6 months, and the rent under the new leases increase an average of 48.7% over the prior leases. The rental rates under the 12 leases in excess of 6 months entered into during 2016 and 2017, increased by an average of 10.3% over the rates of the prior leases.

The table below reflects certain data about our new and renewed leases with terms of greater than six months executed in the years 2016 and 2017.

Conditions in Our Markets

The Company Portfolio is located primarily in various secondary markets in the eastern half of the U.S. Positive or negative changes in economic or other conditions, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters in these markets are likely to affect our overall performance.

Rental Expenses

Our rental expenses generally consist of utilities, real estate taxes, insurance and site repair and maintenance costs. For the majority of the Company Portfolio, rental expenses are controlled, in part, by either the triple net provisions or modified gross lease expense reimbursement provisions in tenant leases. However, the terms of our tenant leases vary and in some instances the leases may provide that we are responsible for certain rental expenses. Accordingly, our overall financial results will be impacted by the extent to which we are able to pass-through rental expenses to our tenants.

General and Administrative Expenses

As a newly public company, we expect to incur increased general and administrative expenses, including legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, public reporting and compliance with various provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, we anticipate that our staffing levels will increase slightly from eleven employees as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K to between 12 and 14 employees during the 12 to 24 months following December 31, 2017 and, as a result, our general and administrative expenses will increase further.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our discussion and analysis of our company’s historical financial condition and results of operations are based upon its consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions in certain circumstances that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenue and expenses in the reporting period. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates and assumptions.

We believe our most critical accounting policies are the regular evaluation of whether the value of a real estate asset has been impaired and accounting for acquisitions. Each of these items involves estimates that require management to make judgments that are subjective in nature. We rely on our experience, we collect historical data and current market data, and we analyze these assumptions in order to arrive at what we believe to be reasonable estimates. Under different conditions or assumptions, materially different amounts could be reported related to the accounting policies described below. In addition, application of these accounting policies involves the exercise of judgments on the use of assumptions as to future uncertainties and, as a result, actual results could materially differ from these estimates.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management makes significant estimates regarding the allocation of tangible and intangible assets or business acquisitions, impairment of long-lived assets, stock-based compensation and its common stock warrants liability.These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment. Management adjusts such estimates when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Going Concern

In accordance with ASU 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”), we have evaluated our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 included in the prospectus dated June 8, 2017, included a statement indicating substantial doubt with regard to our ability to continue as a going concern. The net proceeds of our initial listed public offering in June 2017 and our Series A Preferred Stock offering in October 2017 have fully addressed our working capital needs. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis which assumes that we will continue as a going concern and which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the ordinary course of business.

Cash

We maintain our cash in bank deposit accounts, which at times may exceed federally insured limits. As of December 31, 2017, we had not realized any losses in such cash accounts and believe that we are not exposed to any significant risk of loss.

Income Taxes

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2012 and we believe that our organization and method of operation enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. We had no taxable income prior to electing REIT status. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that we distribute as dividends to our stockholders. If we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT in any tax year, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost, unless we are able to obtain relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect our net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders.

Investments in Real Estate

We generally acquire individual properties, and, in some instances, a portfolio of properties. When we acquire individual operating properties with the intention to hold the investment for the long-term, we allocate the purchase price to the various components of the acquisition based upon the fair value of each component. The components typically include land, building, debt, intangible assets related to above and below market leases, value of costs to obtain tenants, and other assumed assets and liabilities. We consider Level 3 inputs such as the replacement cost of such assets, appraisals, property condition reports, comparable market rental data and other related information in determining the fair value of the tangible assets. The recorded fair value of intangible lease assets or liabilities includes Level 3 inputs including the value associated with leasing commissions, legal and other costs, as well as the estimated period necessary to lease such property and lease commencement. An intangible asset or liability resulting from in-place leases that are above or below the market rental rates are valued based upon our estimates of prevailing market rates for similar leases. Intangible lease assets or liabilities are amortized over the estimated, reasonably assured lease term of the remaining in-place leases as an adjustment to “Rental revenues” or “Real estate related depreciation and amortization” depending on the nature of the intangible. The valuation of assumed liabilities is based on our estimate of the current market rates for similar liabilities in effect at the acquisition date.

In an acquisition of multiple properties, we must also allocate the purchase price among the properties. The allocation of the purchase price is based on our assessment of estimated fair value and often is based upon the expected future cash flows of the property and various characteristics of the markets where the property is located. The fair value may also include an enterprise value premium that we estimate a third party would be willing to pay for a portfolio of properties. The initial allocation of the purchase price is based on management’s preliminary assessment, which may differ when final information becomes available.

Capitalization of Costs and Depreciation and Amortization

We capitalize costs incurred in developing, renovating, rehabilitating and improving real estate assets as part of the investment basis. Costs incurred in making repairs and maintaining real estate assets are expensed as incurred. During the land development and construction periods, we capitalize interest costs, insurance, real estate taxes and certain general and administrative costs of the personnel performing development, renovations and rehabilitation if such costs are incremental and identifiable to a specific activity to get the asset ready for its intended use. Capitalized costs are included in the investment basis of real estate assets. We also capitalize costs incurred to successfully originate a lease that result directly from, and are essential to, the acquisition of that lease. Leasing costs that meet the requirements for capitalization are presented as a component of other assets. Upon our adoption of ASU 2017-01 Business Combinations (Topic 805) Clarifying the Definition of a Business, all acquisitions made subsequent to June 30, 2017 will generally be accounted for as asset acquisitions. As such all acquisition costs incurred as part of the purchase of real estate property acquisitions will be capitalized. Acquisition costs incurred as part of our real estate property prior to July 1, 2017 were expensed as acquisition costs.

Real estate, including land, building and land improvements, tenant improvements, and furniture, fixtures and equipment, leasing costs and intangible lease assets and liabilities are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization, unless circumstances indicate that the cost cannot be recovered, in which case, the carrying value of the property is reduced to estimated fair value as discussed below in our policy with regards to impairment of long-lived assets. We estimate the depreciable portion of our real estate assets and related useful lives in order to record depreciation expense. Our ability to estimate the depreciable portions of our real estate assets and useful lives is critical to the determination of the appropriate amount of depreciation and amortization expense recorded and the carrying value of the underlying assets. Any change to the assets to be depreciated and the estimated depreciable lives of these assets would have an impact on the depreciation expense recognized.

As discussed above in investments in real estate, in connection with property acquisitions, we may acquire leases with rental rates above or below the market rental rates. Such differences are recorded as an intangible lease asset or liability and amortized to “Rental revenues” over the reasonably assured term of the related leases. The unamortized balances of these assets and liabilities associated with the early termination of leases are fully amortized to their respective revenue line items in our consolidated financial statements over the shorter of the expected life of such assets and liabilities or the remaining lease term.

Our estimate of the useful life of our assets is evaluated upon acquisition and when circumstances indicate a change in the useful life, which requires significant judgment regarding the economic obsolescence of tangible and intangible assets.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

We assess the carrying values of our respective long-lived assets, including goodwill, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable.

Recoverability of real estate assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows. In order to review our real estate assets for recoverability, we consider current market conditions, as well as our intent with respect to holding or disposing of the asset. Our intent with regard to the underlying assets might change as market conditions change, as well as other factors, especially in the current global economic environment. Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow models, applying a capitalization rate to estimated net operating income of a property and quoted market values and third-party appraisals, where considered necessary. The use of projected future cash flows is based on assumptions that are consistent with our estimates of future expectations and the strategic plan we use to manage our underlying business. If our analysis indicates that the carrying value of the real estate asset is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, we recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the current estimated fair value of the real estate property.

Assumptions and estimates used in the recoverability analyses for future cash flows, discount rates and capitalization rates are complex and subjective. Changes in economic and operating conditions or our intent with regard to our investment that occurs subsequent to our impairment analyses could impact these assumptions and result in future impairment of our real estate properties.

Valuation of Receivables

We are subject to tenant defaults and bankruptcies that could affect the collection of outstanding receivables. In order to mitigate these risks, we perform credit reviews and analyses on prospective tenants before significant leases are executed and on existing tenants before properties are acquired. We specifically analyze aged receivables, customer credit-worthiness, historical bad debts and current economic trends when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. As a result of our periodic analysis, we maintain an allowance for estimated losses that may result from the inability of our tenants to make required payments. This estimate requires significant judgment related to the lessees’ ability to fulfill their obligations under the leases. If a tenant is insolvent or files for bankruptcy protection and fails to make contractual payments beyond any allowance, we may recognize additional bad debt expense in future periods equal to the net outstanding balances, which include amounts recognized as straight-line revenue not realizable until future periods.

Consolidation

We consolidate all entities that are wholly owned and those in which we own less than 100% but control, as well as any variable interest entities in which we are the primary beneficiary. We evaluate our ability to control an entity and whether the entity is a variable interest entity and we are the primary beneficiary through consideration of the substantive terms of the arrangement to identify which enterprise has the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impacts the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity. Investments in entities in which we do not control but over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies are presented under the equity method. Investments in entities that we do not control and over which we do not exercise significant influence are carried at the lower of cost or fair value, as appropriate. Our ability to correctly assess our influence and/or control over an entity affects the presentation of these investments in our consolidated financial statements.

Results of Operations (amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to December 31, 2016

Rental Revenue: Rental revenue increased by approximately $3,864 to $18,372 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $14,508 for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase was primarily related to rental revenue from the acquired properties from the date of acquisition in 2017 of $3,806 and an increase of $58 from same store properties primarily driven by an increase of base rent of $268 offset by a decrease in straight-line rent adjustment of $198 for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Tenant recoveries: Tenant recoveries increased by approximately $1,293 to $6,443 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $5,150 for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase was primarily related to tenant recoveries from the acquisitions made during 2017 of $1,048 and an increase in tenant recoveries of $245 from same store properties for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Property Expenses:  Property expenses increased $2,278 for the year ended December 31, 2017 to $8,205 as compared to $5,927 for the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily for expenses related to the new property acquisitions of $1,602. Operating expense for the same store properties increased approximately $676 primarily due to an increase in real estate taxes and grounds and landscaping maintenance of $510 and $115, respectively.

Depreciation and Amortization: Depreciation and amortization expense increased by approximately $2,324 to approximately $13,998 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $11,674 for the year ended December 31, 2016, primarily due to the addition of the new property acquisitions of $2,666 offset by lower depreciation and amortization expense for the same store properties of $342.

General and Administrative: General and administrative expenses increased approximately $1,480 to $5,189 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $3,709 for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase is attributable primarily to an increase in accounting, legal and other professional expenses costs of $1,285 which included one-time non-capitalizable related transaction costs such as 3-14 audit fees of $83 and $127 in valuation work associated with our acquisition activity, tax fees for 20 LLC of $227 and non-capitalizable transaction legal costs $375, non-cash stock compensation of $435, offset partially by decreased Directors and Officers Insurance of $370 due to purchase of “Run of Coverage” in 2016 and occupancy costs of $67.

Acquisition Expenses:  Acquisition costs increased $70 to $103 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $33 for the year ended December 31, 2016. Acquisition expenses for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 included costs for acquisitions we decided not to pursue.

Interest Expense: Interest expense decreased by approximately $29,098 to $11,581 for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $40,679 for the year ended December 31, 2016. The decrease was due to the refinancing of the Company’s debt throughout 2017. The schedule below is a comparative analysis of the components of interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. For more information about our 2017 financing transactions, see Note 7 to our consolidated audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 included elsewhere in this annual report.

Gain on disposition of equity investment: Gain on disposition of equity investment represents amounts received in excess of our basis for an equity investment in real estate liquidated in 2016. In 2016, we recognized gain of $2,846 on the disposition of the property held in the joint venture. The gain in the amount of $231 in 2017 represented final settlement of the joint venture.

Other income: Other income represents interest income and net income received from joint ventures. The decrease in other income by $227 to $3 for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $230 for the year ended December 31, 2016 was due to the disposition of the property held in the joint venture.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this annual report on Form 10-K, we disclose NOI, EBITDA, FFO and AFFO, each of which meet the definition of “non-GAAP financial measure” set forth in Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC. As a result, we are required to include in this report a statement of why management believes that presentation of these measures provides useful information to investors.

None of NOI, EBITDA, FFO or AFFO should be considered as an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of our performance, and we believe that to understand our performance further NOI, EBITDA, FFO, and AFFO should be compared with our reported net income or net loss and considered in addition to cash flows in accordance with GAAP, as presented in our consolidated financial statements.

NOI

We consider net operating income, or NOI, to be an appropriate supplemental measure to net income because it helps both investors and management understand the core operations of our properties. We define NOI as total revenue (including rental revenue, tenant reimbursements, management, leasing and development services revenue and other income) less property-level operating expenses including allocated overhead. NOI excludes depreciation and amortization, general and administrative expenses, impairments, gain/loss on sale of real estate, interest expense, and other non-operating items.

The following is a reconciliation from historical reported net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to NOI:

We believe that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, is helpful to investors as a supplemental measure of our operating performance as a real estate company because it is a direct measure of the actual operating results of our industrial properties. We also use this measure in ratios to compare our performance to that of our industry peers. The following table sets forth a reconciliation of our historical net loss to EBITDA for the periods presented.

FFO

Funds from operations, or FFO, is a non-GAAP financial measure that is widely recognized as a measure of REIT operating performance. We consider FFO to be an appropriate supplemental measure of our operating performance as it is based on a net income analysis of property portfolio performance that excludes non-cash items such as depreciation. The historical accounting convention used for real estate assets requires straight-line depreciation of buildings and improvements, which implies that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values rise and fall with market conditions, presentations of operating results for a REIT, using historical accounting for depreciation, could be less informative. We define FFO, consistent with the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, definition, as net income, computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, impairment losses and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures will be calculated to reflect FFO on the same basis. Other equity REITs may not calculate FFO (in accordance with the NAREIT definition) as we do, and, accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs’ FFO. FFO should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, and is not indicative of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends.

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of our historical net loss to FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders for the periods presented:

AFFO

Adjusted funds from operation, or AFFO, is presented in addition to FFO. AFFO is defined as FFO, excluding certain non-cash operating revenues and expenses, acquisition and transaction related costs for transactions not completed and recurring capitalized expenditures. Recurring capitalized expenditures includes expenditures required to maintain and re-tenant our properties, tenant improvements and leasing commissions. AFFO further adjusts FFO for certain other non-cash items, including the amortization or accretion of above or below market rents included in revenues, straight line rent adjustments, impairment losses, non-cash equity compensation and non-cash interest expense.

We believe AFFO provides a useful supplemental measure of our operating performance because it provides a consistent comparison of our operating performance across time periods that is comparable for each type of real estate investment and is consistent with management’s analysis of the operating performance of our properties. As a result, we believe that the use of AFFO, together with the required GAAP presentations, provide a more complete understanding of our operating performance.

As with FFO, our reported AFFO may not be comparable to other REITs’ AFFO, should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, and is not indicative of our funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends.

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of FFO to AFFO.

_______________

Cash Flow

A summary of our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows:

Operating Activities:  Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased approximately $7,361 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily due to an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses and depreciation expense, offset by a decrease in deferred interest during the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.

Investing Activities:  Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased approximately $172,259 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily due to the acquisitions of real estate properties, offset by the proceeds from the 2016 joint venture sale.

Financing Activities:   Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased approximately $176,629 due to the net cash proceeds of $52,559 from our Offering, net borrowings under our line of credit in the amount of $21,325, proceeds from the MWG portfolio loan of $79,800, net cash proceeds from the Company’s issuance of Series A Preferred stock of $48,931, partially offset by the repayment of the preferred member interest of $20,000 as well as dividends paid of $1,755 and debt issuance costs of $2,576.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We intend to make reserve allocations as necessary to aid our objective of preserving capital for our investors by supporting the maintenance and viability of properties we acquire in the future. If reserves and any other available income become insufficient to cover our operating expenses and liabilities, it may be necessary to obtain additional funds by borrowing, refinancing properties or liquidating our investments.

Our short-term liquidity requirements consist primarily of funds to pay for operating expenses and other expenditures directly associated with our properties, including:

In addition, we will require funds for future dividends required to be paid on our Series A Preferred Stock.

We intend to satisfy our short-term liquidity requirements through our existing cash, cash flow from operating activities and the net proceeds of any potential future offerings.

Our long-term liquidity needs consist primarily of funds necessary to pay for acquisitions, recurring and non-recurring capital expenditures and scheduled debt maturities. We intend to satisfy our long-term liquidity needs through cash flow from operations, long-term secured and unsecured borrowings, future issuances of equity and debt securities, property dispositions and joint venture transactions, and, in connection with acquisitions of additional properties, the issuance of OP units.

Existing Indebtedness

AIG Loan

On October 17, 2016, certain indirect subsidiaries of our operating partnership entered into a senior secured loan agreement with investment entities managed by AIG Asset Management, or the AIG Loan Agreement, which provides for a loan of $120 million, or the AIG Loan, bearing interest at 4.08% per annum, and a seven-year term maturing in October, 2023. As of December 31, 2017, there was $120 million outstanding under the AIG Loan Agreement. The AIG Loan Agreement provides for monthly payments of interest only for the first three years of the term and thereafter monthly principal and interest payments based on a 27-year amortization period. Our operating partnership used the net proceeds of the AIG Loan to partially repay the outstanding principal and accrued interest under our then-existing senior secured loan agreement with Torchlight. As of December 31, 2017, we are in compliance with all covenants under the AIG Loan Agreement.

The borrowings under the AIG Loan Agreement are secured by first lien mortgages on the 20 properties held by wholly-owned subsidiaries of Plymouth Industrial 20, LLC. The obligations under the AIG Loan Agreement are also guaranteed by our company and certain of our operating partnership’s wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Torchlight Mezzanine Loan

On October 17, 2016, Plymouth Industrial 20, a subsidiary of our operating partnership, entered into a mezzanine loan agreement, or the Torchlight Mezzanine Loan Agreement, with Torchlight, which provides for a loan of $30 million, or the Torchlight Mezzanine Loan. The Torchlight Mezzanine Loan has a seven-year term maturing in October, 2023 and bears interest at 15% per annum, of which 7% percent is paid currently during the first four years of the term and 10% is paid for the remainder of the term. The Torchlight Mezzanine Loan requires Plymouth Industrial 20 to pay a repayment premium equal to the difference between (x) the sum of 150% of the principal being repaid (excluding accrued interest) and (y) the sum of the actual principal amount being repaid and current and accrued interest paid through the date of repayment. This repayment feature operates as a prepayment feature since the difference will be zero at maturity. The borrowings under the Torchlight Mezzanine Loan are secured by, among other things, pledges of the equity interest in Plymouth Industrial 20 and each of its property-owning subsidiaries. The proceeds of the Torchlight Mezzanine Loan were used to partially repay the outstanding principal and accrued interest under our then-existing senior secured loan agreement. As of December 31, 2017, there was $30 million outstanding under the Torchlight Mezzanine Loan.

KeyBank Credit Agreement

On August 11, 2017 the Company’s operating partnership entered into a secured line of credit agreement (Line of Credit Agreement) with KeyBank National Association, or KeyBank and the other lenders, which matures in August 2020 with an optional extension through August 2021, subject to certain conditions. Borrowings under the Line of Credit Agreement bear interest at either (1) the base rate (determined from the highest of (a) KeyBank’s prime rate, (b) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% and (c) the one month LIBOR rate plus 1.0%) or (2) LIBOR, plus, in either case, a spread between 250 and 300 basis points depending on our total leverage ratio.

The Line of Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain certain coverage and leverage ratios and certain amounts of minimum net worth as well meet certain affirmative and negative covenants for credit facilities of this type. The Company is in compliance with all covenants at December 31, 2017. The Line of Credit Agreement is secured by certain assets of the Company’s operating partnership and certain of its subsidiaries and includes a Company guarantee for the payment of all indebtedness under the Secured Line of Credit Agreement. Borrowings outstanding amounted to $21,325 at December 31, 2017. Borrowings available under the Line of Credit Agreement amounted to $12,435, net of an outstanding letter of credit totaling $93, at December 31, 2017.

MWG Portfolio Secured Term Loan

On November 30, 2017, certain of our indirect subsidiaries entered into a loan agreement, the MWG Loan Agreement, with Special Situations Investing Group II, LLC, as lender and agent, which provides for a loan of $79.8 million, bearing interest for the first year at a rate per annum equal to LIBOR plus 3.10% and for the second year at a rate per annum equal to LIBOR plus 3.35%. The MWG Loan Agreement matures in November 2019 and has one, 12-month extension option, subject to certain conditions. The borrowings under the MWG Loan Agreement are secured by first lien mortgages on the 15 properties held by wholly-owned subsidiaries of Plymouth MWG Holdings, LLC. In addition, the obligations under the Loan Agreement are guaranteed by the company and certain of our operating partnership’s wholly-owned subsidiaries.

The MWG Loan Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants for credit facilities of this type. The MWG Loan Agreement also contains financial covenants that require the borrowers to maintain a minimum ratio of net cash flow to the outstanding principal balance under the loan agreement.

In the event of a default by the Borrowers, the agent may declare all obligations under the MWG Loan Agreement immediately due and payable and enforce any and all rights of the lender or the agent under the MWG Loan Agreement and related documents. As of December 31, 2017, there was $79.8 million outstanding under the MWG Loan Agreement.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table sets forth our principal obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2017:

Future Minimum Rents

($ in thousands)

In addition to the contractual obligations set forth in the table above, we have entered into employment agreements with certain of our executive officers. As approved by the compensation committee of the Board of Directors the agreements provide for base salaries ranging from $200 to $300 annually with discretionary cash performance awards. The agreements contain provisions for equity awards, general benefits, and termination and severance provisions, consistent with similar positions and companies.

We also enter into contracts for maintenance and other services at certain properties from time to time.

Redeemable Preferred Member Interests

On October 17, 2016, and in connection with its refinancing of its Senior Loan with Torchlight, the Company issued Torchlight a 99.5% redeemable preferred member interest in 20 LLC in exchange for $30,553.  The redeemable preferred member interest was redeemed in full as of June 14, 2017. The redemption resulted in elimination of the non-controlling interest and an adjustment to equity (deficit) in the amount of $56,795. An adjustment to the redemption price in the first quarter of 2017 was deemed a non-cash capital contribution in the amount of $1,019.

The Company had classified this amount as a liability in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (ASC 480).  Because the member interest was mandatorily redeemable, the Company concluded that the required redemption of that interest represented a continuing interest in the properties and therefore, the issuance of the redeemable preferred member interest represented a financing of 20 LLC and not a sale of the properties.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Interest Rate Risk

ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (formerly known as SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and hedging Activities, as amended by SFAS No. 138, Accounting for Certain Derivative Instruments and Certain Hedging Activities), requires us to recognize all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. Derivatives that are not hedges must be adjusted to fair value and the changes in fair value must be reflected as income or expense. If the derivative is a hedge, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of derivatives are either offset against the change in fair value of the hedged assets, liabilities, or firm commitments through earnings or recognized in other comprehensive income, which is a component of stockholders equity. The ineffective portion of a derivative’s change in fair value is immediately recognized in earnings.

Inflation

The majority of our leases are either triple net or provide for tenant reimbursement for costs related to real estate taxes and operating expenses. In addition, most of the leases provide for fixed rent increases. We believe that inflationary increases may be at least partially offset by the contractual rent increases and tenant payment of taxes and expenses described above. We do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our historical financial position or results of operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

We have reviewed all recently issued standards and have determined that, other than as disclosed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements appearing in this annual report on Form 10-K, such standards will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements or do not otherwise apply to our operations.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk

This disclosure has been omitted as permitted under rules applicable to smaller reporting companies.

ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The information with respect to this Item 8 is hereby incorporated by reference from our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the forms and rules of the SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the CEO, in a manner to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

In connection with the preparation of this Form 10-K, our management, including the CEO, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2017. As described below, management identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, which is an integral component of our disclosure controls and procedures. As a result our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2017, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The term “internal control over financial reporting” is defined as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the registrant’s board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:

Our internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance to our management and board of directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. In addition, because of changes in conditions, the effectiveness of internal control may vary over time.

The Company is a non-accelerated filer and is not subject to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Accordingly, this Annual Report does not contain an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting, since the rules for smaller reporting companies provide for this exemption.

As of December 31, 2017, management has not completed a proper evaluation, risk assessment and monitoring of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting based on the 2013 Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework. Management concluded that, during the period covered by this report, that our internal controls and procedures were not effective.

The specific material weaknesses that management identified in our internal controls as of December 31, 2017 is as follows:

Company’s management concluded that in light of the material weakness described above, our Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 based on the criteria set forth in the 2013 framework issued by the COSO.

(c) Remediation

In order to remediate this deficiency, during the fourth quarter of 2017 the Company initiated a full review and evaluation of key processes, procedures and completion of documentation that can be monitored and tested independently. Management expects the remediation activities to be completed in 2018.

If the remedial measures described above are insufficient to address the identified material weaknesses or are not implemented effectively, or additional deficiencies arise in the future, material misstatements in our interim or annual financial statements may occur in the future. Among other things, any unremediated material weaknesses could result in material post-closing adjustments in future financial statements.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting or in other factors during the quarter ended December 31, 2017, that have materially affected, or were reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information with respect to this Item 10 is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement, which we intend to file on or before April 30, 2018, in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 29, 2018.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information with respect to this Item 11 is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement, which we intend to file on or before April 30, 2018, in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 29, 2018.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS

Information with respect to this Item 12 is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement, which we intend to file on or before April 30, 2018, in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 29, 2018.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Information with respect to this Item 13 is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement, which we intend to file on or before April 30, 2018, in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 29, 2018.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND EXPENSES

Information with respect to this Item 14 is incorporated by reference from our proxy statement, which we intend to file on or before April 30, 2018, in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 29, 2018.

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)  Financial Statements

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth on page F-1 of this Form 10-K as filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(b)  Financial Statement Schedule

Financial Statement Schedule III as listed in the accompanying Index to Consolidated Financial Statements is filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(c) Exhibits

The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

EXHIBIT INDEX

________________ 

* Filed herewith.

† Management contract or compensatiopn plan or arrangement.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in preferred stock and equity (deficit) and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(b) (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Marcum LLP

Marcum LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.

Boston, Massachusetts

March 8, 2018

PLYMOUTH INDUSTRIAL REIT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

PLYMOUTH INDUSTRIAL REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

PLYMOUTH INDUSTRIAL REIT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN PREFERRED STOCK AND EQUITY (DEFICIT)

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2017

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

PLYMOUTH INDUSTRIAL REIT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)