Tempus Realty Hits Decade Mark with $22.2M Heartland Industrial Buy

LITTLE ROCK, AR – March 17, 2026 – Tempus Realty Partners, a Little Rock-based real estate investment firm, announced Tuesday it has acquired a $22.2 million industrial portfolio, a strategic move that kicks off its 2026 acquisition activity and coincides with its 10-year anniversary. The acquisition comprises five buildings across two properties in Rogers, Arkansas, and Iowa City, Iowa, totaling 311,158 square feet on 23 acres. This deal underscores the firm's long-standing strategy of targeting high-growth secondary markets across the American Heartland, a region experiencing a significant influx of industrial investment.

Local Growth Meets Global Stability

The new portfolio is a carefully balanced mix of local opportunity and long-term stability. In Northwest Arkansas, the firm acquired four industrial buildings totaling 82,658 square feet. Located just 1.5 miles from downtown Rogers, a hub in one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, Tempus is now actively marketing the property for lease. This move positions the firm to capitalize on the region's robust economic expansion. Northwest Arkansas has seen record industrial rent growth, with rates hitting a high of $9.60 per square foot in 2025. Despite a recent uptick in vacancy to 6.4% due to new construction, the market recorded a positive absorption of 330,000 square feet, signaling strong underlying demand for modern industrial space, particularly along the critical I-49 corridor that runs through Rogers.

In stark contrast to the speculative potential in Arkansas, the second component of the acquisition provides immediate, stable cash flow. The 228,500-square-foot property in Iowa City is fully leased to Loparex, a global leader in the manufacturing of release liner solutions. This secures a high-quality tenant with significant market power and a global footprint spanning over 70 countries.

Loparex is a dominant force in its industry, holding an estimated 15-18% of the global merchant release liner market with annual revenues exceeding $1.1 billion. The release liner market itself is on a steep growth trajectory, projected to expand from approximately $17 billion in 2025 to over $24 billion by 2031. This growth is fueled by booming e-commerce, packaging, medical, and advanced manufacturing sectors—all of which rely on the specialized products Loparex creates. The stability of this tenant, backed by a strong industry outlook, provides a powerful counterbalance to the leasing efforts at the Rogers property, exemplifying a sophisticated risk-adjusted investment approach.

Riding the Wave of the Industrial Heartland

This acquisition is a clear reflection of a broader economic trend: the rise of industrial real estate in secondary markets across the South and Midwest. While major coastal gateway markets face yield compression and intense competition, investors are increasingly turning their attention inland. These "Heartland" markets offer a combination of strong population growth, lower operating costs, and expanding logistics and manufacturing infrastructure.

"This portfolio reflects the type of industrial opportunities we continue to prioritize across the Heartland," said Clay Ramey, partner of capital markets at Tempus Realty Partners. "The Rogers acquisition is particularly meaningful for us as an Arkansas-based firm, and we see strong long-term demand drivers in Northwest Arkansas. At the same time, the Iowa City asset adds a stable manufacturing tenant with global reach."

Tempus has strategically built its model around this trend, leveraging deep local knowledge and relationships that larger, national firms often lack. Reports from late 2025 and early 2026 show that while industrial transaction volumes were down nationally year-over-year, investor activity accelerated in the second half of the year, with sustained leasing demand expected from logistics providers, e-commerce firms, and manufacturers. Tempus's focus on these specific asset types in targeted growth cities has allowed it to consistently identify and execute on opportunities that deliver strong returns for its partners.

A Decade of Disciplined Growth

The $22.2 million portfolio is not just the firm's first of the year; it serves as a milestone marking a decade of remarkable growth. Founded in 2016, Tempus Realty Partners set out with a clear vision to focus on commercial real estate opportunities in the South and Midwest. Over ten years, the firm has methodically executed this strategy, surpassing $1 billion in property acquisitions across 25 states.

This track record demonstrates a consistent and disciplined approach. In just the past two years, Tempus has deployed significant capital across its target regions, including a $40.3 million industrial portfolio in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Alabama in July 2025, and a $29 million portfolio in Alabama, Maryland, and Wisconsin in August 2024. The firm has also shown a keen ability to successfully exit investments, as seen in the profitable sale of a $20.3 million industrial portfolio in metro Detroit in late 2024, which exceeded projections despite a rising interest rate environment.

This latest acquisition in Arkansas and Iowa fits perfectly within that established pattern of acquiring quality industrial assets, often utilizing sale-leaseback structures or identifying value-add opportunities in markets with strong fundamentals. As Tempus Realty Partners enters its second decade, this deal signals a continued commitment to the strategy that has fueled its growth, positioning the firm to further capitalize on the enduring strength of America's industrial core.