News
Tequila Schmooze
January 26, 2011
| Yes, space may have been tight for the 400 of you wonderful new friends who poured in last night to Trece Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge for our Bisnow Super Schmooze, but that body heatkept the evening chill outside and created a memorable networkingelectricity that either (a) signals a warming new CRE economy or (b) is good practice for all the partying about to descend on the Metroplex in the next 10 days. | |
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| The crowd sprawled into three rooms, of which this is only one, and there was a fireplace-heated outdoor patio as well. Plied with margaritas, tequila, wine, beer, tacos, quesadillas, crab cakes, well, we imagine some people are still there. | |
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| When you pack this many people into Trece, you're going to get an occasional shoulder or elbow in a picture (see guy on right). But event sponsor ServCorp?s Ashley Maines and Julienne Turner with Eagle Landscape?s Eric Bonilla didn't seem phased. They're professionals, after all. Ashley says ServCorp is working deals onoffice space leasing that get better with length (the longer, the better). With three locations—International Plaza by the Galleria, Highland Park on Preston Road, and Rosewood Court in Uptown—Servcorp serves all company types, including small businesses, start-ups, law offices, and financial services companies. | |
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| If these guys ever start their own boy band, they could be the John Trio or maybe John X 3 or, well, we'll stop there. Its Eagle Landscape?s John Wingfield, event sponsor Hill & Wilkinson?s John Riggins, and Rentenbach Constructors? John Hoover. Small world moment: John Hoover figured out that he went to Hillcrest High School with John Wingfield?s father. You read about Hill & Wilkinson?s latest projects yesterday, but John Riggins tells us the firm's also in pre-construction on the Parkland Grand Prairie outpatient clinic. | |
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| We added to the congestion by snapping these three traffic-stoppers: TriVAN Roofing owner Dave Custable, and Republic Title?s Vicki Summerall and MaryBeth Shapiro. MaryBeth intrigued us with the tease of information that year-end numbers show some ?interesting trends? in CRE. While individual transactions are confidential, she's promising the firm's execs are going to share what they're seeing in various property types and with some numbers. We'll wait patiently by the tequila. | |
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| Looks like the camera loves Dave, as we see him popping in with event sponsor Elite Facility Systems? prez Tricia Holderman, Rob Howarth, and Theresa Ranne with (in front) Denise Patino andCheri Moody and Aidmatrix?s Karen Krygowski (a proud client of Elite, she tells us). The firm specializes in medical, dental, and health facilities, providing definitive evaluations and creating a system of best practices and services for the safety andcleanliness of client facilities. Tricia says the firm creates solutions that are easy to implement with the most current strategies and products in a broad range of disciplines. So cool. | |
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| Thanks for standing still, guys. (We know you were busy schmoozing.) Prime Meridian Real Estate Services? Carey Webb, LNB Capital's David Busch, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital'sCorey Freedman, and One Phorm?s Keooura Sanavong. Keooura tells us his firm does build-to-suit projects and is working on a number of finish-outs. Carey, who does tenant rep, says now is a good time for tenants to move up. He's got about a half-dozen dealsin the works in Dallas, but was mum on the details (there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing's done). | |
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| Tucked away at one of the few tables, we found Spire Realty Group'sCrissy Carter and Marilyn Weinberger with Medco Construction'sG.P. Howard and Darby Real Estate's Bonita Bastardo. Bonita tells us Darby handles property management and currently manages five office and industrial properties. Marilyn tells us Spire is busilyacquiring new properties for long-term holds. Last year saw purchases in Austin and Dallas and more are in the works. | |
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| We also snapped Hexter-Fair Title?s Robert Blanshard, Commercial Insurance Solutions? Blake Holman, Bank of America Merrill Lynch?sBrian Hodges, and Marcus & Millichap?s Will Jarnigan. Will tells us that, along with colleagues Michael Ware and Al Silva, his office sold North Oak Apartments in Irving for $4.1M. His team was brought on after an unsuccessful marketing attempt by another national apartment brokerage failed to deliver on the pricing expectation, he tells us. The time delay from that unsuccessful marketing process led to a maturity default on the seller's note and they were engaged to provide a realistic valuation and to resolve the maturity default with a sale. The buyer arranged financing through a Fannie Mae DUSlender. | |
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| SimplexGrinnell?s Damon Pitts and Delmont Johnson flank Sayres Dudley, of Dudley & Associates. Feeling our height, we craned our necks to ask the fellas what's in the works. Sayres says hisexecutive search business picked up in Q4 with five searchesunderway for development partners, senior level tenant rep, a national sales manager, and a transaction manager. Although, he cautions, it isn't a true indicator in job growth, yet. Delmont tells us SimplexGrinnell launched a new product, True Insight Remote Service, which enables the firm to remotely diagnose system issues on Simplex 4100U fire alarm panels. Hot stuff for sure. |
