Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Industrial Project Leasing brokers
Steve Aldrich
Hillwood
HOMETOWN: Dallas
COLLEGE: Trinity University
CAREER DEBUT: 1997
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: I loved my early years in the business. I got to see the tech bubble burst early on. I had no money, anyway, so it was a great lesson. When making money is easy and things seem too good to be true, they are.
TOP 2009 DEAL: My favorite deal of 2009 was having our second little girl, Georgia.
GOOD TIMES: Driving through AllianceTexas every day for the past 12 years. When I started, Highway 114 was a two-lane blacktop and we had less than 10 million square feet on the ground. It’s easy to lose perspective when you see something every day, but I try and remind myself regularly what has happened out here over the past 12 years.
CHALLENGES: We are having to get creative, but I think that’s a good thing. Fortunately, we have an excellent project to sell. Overall, however, the market is going to have to equilibrate, which isn’t completely in our control. We like seeing deals completed and if they don’t happen at Alliance, we like to see them happen anywhere in the market.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Ki Aldrich.
Tony Creme
Hillwood Properties
HOMETOWN: Syracuse, N.Y.
COLLEGE: Southern Methodist University
CAREER DEBUT: 1998
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: I used the first few years to network and learn as much as I could so I would be prepared when the market came back.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Q-Edge, a 365,000-square-foot lease. It was a heavily negotiated deal, and the competition was extremely intense at the very end.
GOOD TIMES: Every deal we do is rewarding, especially the development deals that add new product to our project, AllianceTexas.
CHALLENGES: Filling our large blocks of vacant space. We are staying very close to our customers and getting aggressive on every deal we see.
OPPORTUNITIES: Foreclosed properties. That is where people are willing to put their money.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Peyton Manning. He always takes control of his offense and makes quick decisions on the fly to adapt to each situation.
Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Rookies
Reid Goetz
Hillwood Development Corp.
HOMETOWN: Fort Worth
COLLEGE: The University of Texas at Austin
CAREER DEBUT: 2005
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: One of the most challenging aspects of beginning a career in commercial real estate is having to build professional relationships from scratch, as well as learning every piece of the development, leasing, acquisition and capital sides of business. I learned to never miss an opportunity to network and to become a sponge whenever I was in business meetings or working on new projects.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Each individual deal we did within AllianceTexas presented its own set of challenges and unique characteristics, making each deal my favorite in its own way.
GOOD TIMES: The relationships. Forming long-term relationships with customers and brokers in the marketplace has been very rewarding and is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this business.
CHALLENGES: One of the biggest challenges is developing original ideas in an effort to create new business opportunities while responding to the changing needs of companies in the current economic conditions. At Alliance, our approach to responding to those challenges remains the same — keeping our heads down and continuing to work hard while providing the best possible operating environment and services to our customers.
OPPORTUNITIES: The greatest opportunities are going to lie in the way companies re-evaluate the way they do business. As companies look for ways to improve operating costs, increase efficiencies in logistics and supply chains, I believe that AllianceTexas is in a terrific position to provide those companies with the compelling options to meet their needs.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Without being too partial to my alma mater, I would have to say Colt McCoy’s approach to football best exemplifies my approach to business (sorry, I can’t help it). Colt looks at each day as an opportunity to work harder and become a better student of the sport, a philosophy that guided him to the most wins for a quarterback in NCAA history and to the largest stage in NCAA collegiate sports. While any hopes of a national championship stage long passed me by (pro quarterback abilities and a sub-5.0 40 were never in my future), I still go into the office each day with the attitude to work harder than the previous day and with the desire to become a better professional.
Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Retail brokers
Mark Miller
COLLEGE: Texas A&M
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: The early years were not too rough. I learned to be patient. I stuck it out because it was fun and interesting.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Kroger Marketplace because it was the first one they were doing in Fort Worth and although it was a challenging deal, it will be a good deal for everyone.
GOOD TIMES: Just the day to day learning of the different facets of the business.
CHALLENGES: Financing. Trying to find ways to get a harmonious marriage between equity and debt where everyone benefits.
OPPORTUNITIES: Single tenant deals.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Dat Nguyen because he is an Aggie and he was tenacious and persevered.