Article Excerpt:
TWST: What is AmREIT?Mr. Taylor: AmREIT is a publicly traded equity REIT listed on the American Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol AMY and boasts a 20-year track record of delivering solid results to our shareholders. When we listed our stock on the Exchange in July 2002, we held approximately $74 million in assets. Now, just three years later, we have increased our total assets to $312 million and are on target to reach $400 million by June of next year. Our business structure is unique to the publicly traded REIT market and provides the fuel for our journey toward our number one goal: delivering dependable, increasing monthly income to our shareholders. Our dividend, which is currently yielding over 6%, is supported by our disciplined growth through the acquisition of institutional grade or what we call 'Irreplaceable Corners'_. These are premium retail properties typically located on 'Main and Main' intersections in high-traffic, highly populated affluent neighborhoods with high barriers to entry.
TWST: Why exactly do you choose to focus on Irreplaceable Corners?
Mr. Taylor: Throughout time, there have always been central gathering
places where people tend to congregate. In our local markets, these
places can be found on 'Main and Main' intersections within densely
populated areas yielding strong traffic counts. These are highly visible
corners with strong barriers to entry that attract market dominant
tenants like Kroger and Barnes & Noble, and pull in a more affluent
clientele. During the past 30 years that I have been in the business, I
have recognized that it's these institutional grade properties that are
better able to weather the economic cycles that we experience. So we,
for many years, have focused on acquiring or developing the very best
retail corners and intensely managing them.
Tickers included in this excerpt: AMY
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