Warehouses keep getting larger, catering to retailers like Walmart Inc., The Home Depot Inc. and the biggest industrial user of them all, Amazon.com Inc., that these days frequently take down 1 million square feet or more in a single lease transaction.

But while mammoth distribution hubs or sprawling manufacturing plants tend to be headline-grabbers, small warehouse users — including those needing 100,000 square feet or less — remain the bread and butter of many industrial markets nationally.

And in a warehouse market with constrained inventory, rapid rent escalation and fierce competition, it’s getting tough for small warehouse users to find, and afford, space. Continue reading