The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Quebec's Caisse and the real estate arm of alternative asset manager Sagard Holdings are set to buy $490-million of industrial outdoor storage properties located near major U.S. ports. The Globe's James Bradshaw writes that the new partnership between the two Montreal-based investors is a bet on strong demand for land that is designated for storing equipment, vehicles and containers near some of the largest shipping hubs and cities in the United States. With supply chains under strain, tariffs reshaping global trade flows and e-commerce expanding, there is an acute need for land with the right zoning for storage spaces to support trucking and equipment companies that serve busy transportation corridors. It is a niche part of the industrial real estate sector that is still fragmented among smaller private owners, rather than large institutional investors, with high occupancy rates and tenants that do not turn over very often. Sagard's real estate arm has been investing in this type of property for years, and has built expertise in finding potential acquisitions. Outdoor storage properties often still trade off-market through introductions from leasing brokers.