NELSON Worldwide announced the hiring of Monica Marulanda as the award-winning firm’s Northeast Industrial Leader. With a career that spans almost two decades in design and construction, Monica brings a diverse range of industry knowledge to her new role, which will aid in the firm’s expansion of its industrial portfolio of clients and projects.

“Industrial is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the architecture and design field,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NELSON Worldwide, John “Ozzie Nelson Jr. “Architecture can make a positive impact on the lives of everyday individuals, Monica is passionate about using her job to help people. She sees a real opportunity in the industrial sector to assist people as they settle into an e-commerce economy.”

In her new role, Monica will focus on growing the firm’s industrial presence in significant market cities within the Northeast, including Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston and emerging suburban markets. As the real estate industry readjusts to a new landscape of buyers and their needs, Monica sees an essential and impactful opportunity to expand the industrial sector into urban areas that were previously ignored. As more people order online, the importance of micro-delivery centers will become vital to the country’s infrastructure. As a sustainably-minded designer, Monica will create a dynamic team that will build ultramodern facilities in buildings that have outlived their original use. In addition to micro-delivery centers, outdated malls can become useful once again by being transformed into industrial centers.

Monica will provide general oversight regarding overseeing LEED documentation, site planning, and due diligence studies. Along with her attentiveness towards clients, Monica will create a collaborative team in the Northeast office, one that is determined to increase the firm’s footprint in the region. “The usage of E-commerce in 2020 has revolutionized the industrial sector,” said Monica Marulanda.”I couldn’t be more excited at the chance to lead a team to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity. The market is open for growth, and we plan to take advantage by targeting locations in both suburban and urban areas.”

Monica comes to NELSON Worldwide with over 19 years of experience. The seasoned project manager previously supervised reconstruction efforts following the 1999 earthquake in Armenia, Colombia. Additionally, she worked at SBLM Architects, where she gained experience working with big box retailers, before taking a senior role with CallisonRTKL. Monica went on to lead projects in residential, multifamily, big box, luxury retail, automotive, and data center sectors after driving these efforts. Past projects include The Shops at Marcus Dairy in Danbury, CT, the George Washington Bus Terminal New York, NY, and feasibility studies and site planning on numerous projects.