Trade Group’s Orange County, L.A. Units Merge

The Orange County and Los Angeles chapters of the National Assn. of Industrial and Office Properties have merged, creating the largest commercial real estate trade group in Southern California.

The new group, called NAIOP SoCal, was formed to better deal with the shared interests of real estate firms in both counties. NAIOP Orange County President J.R. Wetzel of Pacific Gulf Properties has been named head of the merged organization.

“This merger is a direct reflection of the industry, because most of our members conduct business in both counties,” Wetzel said in a statement.

“Since the Orange County and Los Angeles markets are so interrelated, we felt it was necessary to broaden the scope of the chapter in order to better serve the members in both markets and create a more prominent voice for commercial real estate.”

NAIOP SoCal has 450 members and ranks as the nation’s third-largest NAIOP chapter.