Cohen of Ashlind Properties brings Global Tissue to 232,135 s/f Yaphank property

In what is one of the largest industrial leasing deals so far in this year, Richard Cohen, president of Hauppauge-based Ashlind Properties has arranged a transaction that will to bring new life to a former Estee Lauder plant on Long Island. Global Tissue Group, which has its headquarters in an adjacent 180,000 s/f building, signed a long-term lease for the 232,135 s/f industrial building at 19 Nicholas Dr. Cohen, assisted by Ashley Cohen, arranged the deal with landlord, Melville-based Rechler Equities, which was represented in-house by Harry Stavro. The property, south of the Long Island Expressway at Exit 66, previously was leased to Estee Lauder's Whitman Packaging affiliate. Whitman shut the plant at the end of its lease on Dec. 31. Global Tissue has already occupied the building, which was built in 1989 and is the size of five football fields. Built on 29 acres by Estee Lauder and sold to Rechler's predecessor business, Reckson Associates, in 1995, it features fiber optics, energy efficient lights, 22-foot ceilings, 795 parking spaces and 19 loading docks. Privately held Global Tissue produces toilet tissue, paper towels and facial tissue for the "private label" market-generic products that stores market under their own brands. The company has its plant and headquarters on an adjacent 23 acres that it purchased in 2008 in another deal arranged by Cohen. Global has grown quickly since its inception in 1998, outgrowing buildings in Bohemia, Ronkonkoma and Holbrook. The latest deal lifted Cohen's sales and lease transaction volume for 2010 to almost 1.4 million s/f. This year, CoStar News designated Cohen an industrial leasing power broker for the eighth consecutive year and Long Island Business News honored him as the top industrial broker on Long Island for 2009. Synonymous with industrial real estate on Long Island, Ashlind Properties, now celebrating its 20th year in business and headquartered in Hauppauge, N.Y., is an independent, full-service commercial real estate firm that provides a high level of specialized industrial real estate brokerage.