INVESTORS

CHICAGO, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR), the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate, today announced that Jeremy Shapiro has been named senior regional director of the Company's new Miami region. Shapiro will be responsible for expanding the Company's national platform to South Florida by building an industrial portfolio through acquisition and development.

Mr. Shapiro joins First Industrial with over 27 years of commercial real estate experience in the South Florida area. Most recently he was director of development and vice president of Codina Development Company, where he was responsible for managing all industrial, office, retail and residential development operations and identifying new development opportunities. Prior to that, he was a vice president at Shannash Properties, Inc., where he was responsible for development and investment management. Mr. Shapiro has lived in Miami for over 45 years, and earned his masters of business administration and bachelor of business administration from the University of Miami.

"Entering South Florida will further strengthen our national platform and provide significant benefits to our customers and our company," said Mike Brennan, president and chief executive officer. "Jeremy's knowledge of this market and strong broker and customer relationships are a perfect complement to our business and we welcome him to our team."

"The 340 million square foot South Florida market is an ideal market for First Industrial to enter into and expand its platform, serving a growing base of corporate customers," said Shapiro. "The Company's focus on diverse industrial facility types and ability to acquire, develop, redevelop, lease and sell industrial properties according to the needs of its customers will benefit the broad range of industrial users in this market."

Mr. Shapiro will be based out of First Industrial's new Miami office. He can be reached at 305-218-3114.

First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate, serves every aspect of Corporate America's industrial real estate needs, including customized supply chain solutions, through its unique I-N-D-L operating platform, which utilizes a pure Industrial focus and National scope to provide Diverse facility types, while offering Local, full-service management and expertise. Building, buying, selling, leasing and managing industrial property in major markets nationwide, First Industrial develops long term relationships with corporate real estate directors, tenants and brokers to better serve customers with creative, flexible industrial real estate solutions.

This press release contains forward-looking information about the Company. A number of factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including changes in: economic conditions generally and the real estate market specifically, legislative/regulatory changes (including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts), availability of financing, interest rate levels, competition, supply and demand for industrial properties in the Company's current and proposed market areas, potential environmental liabilities, slippage in development or lease-up schedules, tenant credit risks, higher- than-expected costs and changes in general accounting principles, policies and guidelines applicable to real estate investment trusts. For further information on these and other factors that could impact the Company and the statements contained herein, reference should be made to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

CONTACT: Sean P. O'Neill, SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, +1-312-344-4401, or Mike Daly, Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, +1-312-344-4320, both of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.