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Sean Dalfen is part of Bisnow's Ascent community of up-and-coming commercial real estate leaders. The top developers and investors under the age of 40 descend on the Ritz Carlton in South Beach Nov. 2-4. See who's attending and apply to be considered for one of the few remaining spots. Montreal native and Dalfen CIO Sean Dalfen digs everything about deal-making. “I love having all the puzzle pieces, then putting them together,” he tells Bisnow. And he's rather good at it. His family's private equity real estate firm closed $70M in deals in the past two months.  Sean, 33, joined Dalfen's—started by his grandfather Joseph in 1935—after working as an investment sales broker at NAI Commercial in Montreal, where he was among the company's top 10 performers in Canada. Sean has helped turned Dalfen's into one of the most active buyers of industrial real estate in North America, having done 30M SF in deals in 11 US states and two Canadian provinces to date. Last week, Dalfen America Corp, the firm's Dallas-based US head office, launched by Sean's father Murray in 1992, announced the acquisition of Airport Distribution Centers in Raleigh, NC (seen below), a transaction comprising 160k SF across two buildings.  Born in Montreal, Sean went to McGill University, majoring in psychology; he also did a year at Tel Aviv University focused on international studies. While at McGill, he started a company that developed software that enabled video recording on early cell phone cameras. “It was revolutionary at the time,” Sean says, noting he left school to run the company—his first business foray—and subsequently sold it for a profit. Overseeing Dalfen's investment strategies, Sean has spearheaded the transformation of his father's firm from a small yet profitable company that bought a building a year, into one that does $70M in transactions in two months. Handling such a velocity of deals, with so many puzzle pieces needing to be put together, can get complicated, he admits. “But that's what makes it exciting.” _____________________ What You Don't Know About Sean Dalfen. Born: Montreal. Resides: Dallas . Education: McGill University, Tel Aviv University. First job ever: Selling Cutco knives. I sold that (stuff) like it was going out of style. You can cut a penny with them! Greatest fear: Believing my fears are real; that I put stock into any doubt that pops into my head. Daily habit: I make a list of long-term goals and read it every day. Favourite band: The Tragically Hip. Favourite book: "Man's Search for Meaning", by Viktor Frankl. Favourite movie: Fletch. Favourite vacation spot: Costa Rica. Favourite restaurant: IHOP. Bucket list: Own a home in the rainforest of Costa Rica. Hobbies: Fishing. Startling fact about you: I cut my own hair. |
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Which Stores Are Coming To Vaughan Mills? With the $87M expansion and redevelopment of Vaughan Mills nearing completion, Ivanhoé Cambridge has revealed that the 200k SF revamp will include the first Canadian location of charming charlie, plus the only Dr. Martens outlet in North America. This is in addition to a 20k SF Nike Factory Store, as well as The Outlet by Harry Rosen, and Cole Haan, Ben Sherman, Vince Camuto, and Brooks Brothers stores, among the other 50 new retailers set to open at Vaughan Mills next week.  Started in June 2013, the expansion of Vaughan Mills—a retail tourist destination that includes a new LegoLand Discovery Centre—will grow the mall to 1.6M SF of GLA, with 19 major tenants and 250 stores, and more than 6,500 parking spaces. The redevelopment also includes a spruced-up food court, new entertainment court for live events, and a redesigned front entrance. |
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Canada Goose Opens New HQ |
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 Iconic parka producer Canada Goose on Wednesday marked the official opening of its global HQ in Toronto, including a new 96k SF factory that doubles the company's previous production capacity. Pictured at the facility: Finance Minister Joe Oliver; Canada Goose president and CEO Dani Reiss; and Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle. Located on Bowie Avenue near Eglinton Ave. W. and Caledonia Road, the building—built in the 1940s for school and office supply-maker Hilroy, seen below—features a showroom that's inspired by an Arctic basecamp and a museum showcasing artifacts of the company's five-decade history. |
 Dani noted that Canada Goose—founded by his grandfather in a small Toronto warehouse in 1957—made a decision to keep production at home, “and we continue to invest in rebuilding manufacturing infrastructure here in Canada.” Canada Goose, with Bain Capital owning a majority stake, has grown revenues by 4,000% in the past decade, and sells in 50 countries worldwide. |
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Crain's Names Bisnow to
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15 Days Until the Top Under 40 Developers / Investors
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