Although CoreNet Global is often viewed as a group for executives managing workplace operations, the world's leading association for corporate real estate executives also includes a strong array of manufacturing, industrial and logistics interests.
There are major consumer manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, Whirlpool, General Electric, Philips and Apple.
Of course, companies like GE span across other big sectors like transportation, aviation, energy and defense - as do players like Honeywell, Siemens, United Technologies, BASF, Dow Chemical, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
A number of technology companies that are involved in manufacturing are also part of CoreNet Global. Hewlett Packard and Cisco Systems are primary examples. So is Intel. To the extent that Microsoft, IBM and Oracle are in the hardware business, these mega-tech giants are also integral to the CoreNet Global network worldwide, regardless.
Global telecommunications providers are also involved, including Nokia, Nokia-Siemens, AT&T, T-Mobile, Motorola, Verizon and Sprint.
And we can't overlook the automotive sector. Toyota, Ford and General Motors have a long history of involvement in CoreNet Global, for example.
The energy and petroleum sectors are also well represented. Companies like Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell are long-time supporters of CoreNet Global.
There are added dimensions, like railroads, that also relate to CoreNet Global and to manufacturing logistics. Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Norfolk Southern are among them.
Then again, even the workplace sector needs manufacturing. That’s why leading suppliers like Steelcase, Haworth, Herman Miller and Allsteel are all engaged in CoreNet Global - each at a very high level of support and involvement.
Or, there are companies like Johnson Controls, Inc. JCI provides services to the real estate industry but also does manufacturing for sectors like automotive and building instrumentation. Then there’s Medtronic, a producer of advanced medical instrumentation.
Don’t overlook the pharmaceutical segment, which incorporates manufacturing, too. Take Pfizer, Merck or Eli Lilly as examples. They’re part of CoreNet Global, too.
So when real estate people talk about "the other association" for manufacturers, they could very well be thinking of CoreNet Global, with its superior scale, diversity and international reach compared to other groups serving the CRE industry.