COPT Wins CEL & Associates Customer Service Award for Excellence for Ninth Consecutive Year

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COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT or the Company) (NYSE: OFC) announced for the ninth consecutive year, it has won the “National Commercial Real Estate Customer Service Award for Excellence” by achieving the “Best In The Industry” ranking in 2012 by CEL & Associates, Inc. (CEL), the nation’s largest surveyor of tenant satisfaction within the real estate industry. The “National Commercial Real Estate Customer Service Award for Excellence” is the largest of CEL’s categories and pertains to companies owning and/or managing over 100 properties. The “Best In The Industry” ranking is for providing the highest level of quality and service to tenants.

“We are extremely honored to win this award for the ninth year in a row, which recognizes that our customers appreciate our commitment to exceed their expectations through outstanding service,” stated Roger A. Waesche, Jr., COPT’s President & Chief Executive Officer. “In this difficult market, our continued commitment to customer service is a tribute to our team and its efforts,” he added.

Company Information:

COPT is an office REIT that focuses primarily on serving the specialized requirements of U.S. Government agencies and defense contractors, most of whom are engaged in defense information technology and national security-related activities. The Company generally acquires, develops, manages and leases office and data center properties concentrated in large office parks primarily located near knowledge-based government demand drivers and/or in targeted markets or submarkets in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region. As of December 31, 2012, the Company’s consolidated portfolio consisted of 208 office properties totaling 18.8 million rentable square feet. COPT is an S&P MidCap 400 company and more information can be found at www.copt.com.

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release may contain “forward-looking” statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company’s current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan” or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Accordingly, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may affect these expectations, estimates, and projections include, but are not limited to:

  • general economic and business conditions, which will, among other things, affect office property and data center demand and rents, tenant creditworthiness, interest rates, financing availability and property values;
  • adverse changes in the real estate markets including, among other things, increased competition with other companies;
  • governmental actions and initiatives, including risks associated with the impact of a government shutdown or budgetary reductions or impasses, such as a reduction in rental revenues, non-renewal of leases, and/or a curtailment of demand for additional space by strategic tenants;
  • the Company’s ability to sell properties included in its Strategic Reallocation Plan;
  • the Company’s ability to borrow on favorable terms;
  • risks of real estate acquisition and development activities, including, among other things, risks that development projects may not be completed on schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or pay rent or that development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated;
  • risks of investing through joint venture structures, including risks that the Company’s joint venture partners may not fulfill their financial obligations as investors or may take actions that are inconsistent with the Company’s objectives;
  • changes in the Company’s plans or views of market economic conditions or failure to obtain development rights, any of which could result in recognition of impairment losses;
  • the Company’s ability to satisfy and operate effectively under Federal income tax rules relating to real estate investment trusts and partnerships;
  • the Company's ability to achieve projected results;
  • the dilutive effect of issuing additional common shares; and
  • environmental requirements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. For further information, please refer to the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Corporate Office Properties Trust
IR Contacts:
Stephanie Krewson, 443-285-5453
VP, Investor Relations
stephanie.krewson@copt.com
or
Michelle Layne, 443-285-5452
Investor Relations Specialist
michelle.layne@copt.com

Source: Corporate Office Properties Trust

Released February 21, 2013