Inland Real Estate Corp (IRC.PRB.PFD)

Inland Real Estate Corp was formed on May 12, 1994. It is a publicly held real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns, operates and develops open-air neighborhood, community and power shopping centers and single-tenant retail properties located in Midwest markets. Approximately fifty-nine percent of its total retail portfolio gross leasable area is located in the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area, with its second largest market concentration being approximately seventeen percent in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA. Tenants at the Company's retail properties primarily provide "everyday" goods and services to consumers. The primary drivers of its internal income growth are rental rate increases over expiring rates on new and renewal leases and cost savings from operational efficiencies. The Company's business is competitive. It competes with other property owners on the basis of location, rental rates, operating expenses, visibility, quality of the property, volume of traffic, strength and name recognition of other tenants at each location and other factors. These competitive factors affect the level of occupancy and rental rates that it is able to achieve at its investment properties. In addition, the Company's tenants compete against other forms of retailing such as catalog companies and e-commerce websites that offer similar retail products. The Company competes with other real estate companies, and at its current investment properties, it competes with other owners of similar properties for tenants. Inland Real Estate's properties are also subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements.