Atlanta Galleria Now

Tenant Profile: Barry McWhirter

Barry McWhirter, President/CEO McWhirter Realty Partners

1.       How long have you been a tenant? We moved to Atlanta Galleria in May of 2014 after selling our office building in Vinings. We were looking for a location that allowed us to consolidate our operations to one floor and easily access major interstates.

2.       How many employees do you have?

It can range anywhere from 15-20 because we have employees who float between our Marietta office and Atlanta Galleria. Luckily, our current space allows for this flexibility.

3.       What does your company do?

McWhirter Realty Partners is a commercial real estate firm providing brokerage, property management, acquisition and development services throughout Georgia and neighboring states. A large portion of our business is in the 20-county Metro Atlanta area, so it’s important that our people can access I-285 and I-75 quickly during different times of the day to reach our customers if we need to.

4.       Why is the Cumberland area and Atlanta Galleria a good place for you to do business? We’ve been a Cobb County-based business for over 30 years and do a lot of work with Cobb County and the city of Marietta. As a result, keeping our office in Cobb County was very important to us. In addition to the location, the building and campus amenities and nearby restaurants and banks make this a good location for our business.

5.       What Atlanta Galleria amenity do you use the most? (gym, restaurants, etc.) For me, the three amenities I enjoy and use daily are the covered parking, the sandwich shop in the building and the athletic club. I enjoy being able to get to work and having everything here so I don’t have to leave.

6.       What are your thoughts on economic development in the Cumberland area and future growth?

We’ve been very familiar with this area for a long time and always have been impressed with the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID). The stadium is generating a lot of energy in the area, but I don’t think this has too much of an impact on our business other than being a good location for our office. Once the stadium opens it may impact us by offering a convenient location to entertain clients, but we won’t know for sure until it’s finished.

7.       What business successes or milestones have you achieved lately? It feels like the deals we close – sometimes on a daily basis – are our greatest successes. We handle a lot of transactions, but they’re all incredibly important to us. However, in the real estate industry, surviving the last six years is probably the greatest achievement possible.

8.       What challenges are you confronting? It seem like the economy is still very fragile. We do a lot of leasing representing both tenants and landlords and we’re not seeing a lot of tenant movement, and we think that’s directly related to the economy. While the banking industry has corrected itself, it’s still challenging to find the right projects to pursue when the base is fragile.

Even in this uncertainty, construction prices are way up. For example, high-rise apartments are being built like crazy, which has increased material and labor prices. On the other hand, you have some segments that are still questioning where the economy is going. For example, we have very few medical tenants moving around or expanding because of the uncertainty in the healthcare market right now.

9.       What does your office do to have fun together and build comradery? Frankly, everyone loves Food Truck Tuesday. Most employees plan their week to be here on Tuesday and go out to the courtyard on those days.

10.   Overall, how do you like being a tenant at Atlanta Galleria? The property and management have exceeded our expectations and it pleases me that we made the right decision to move our business here. A lot of our people are independent contractors, so keeping them happy with the right office location was very important to us. It’s much easier to do that in an environment with so many amenities. In the greater vision for our business, this is where we need to be. When we made the decision to move here, it was for a long time, and I don’t see us going anywhere any time soon.

Tenant Profile: Harry Bassler

Cookerly Public Relations recently interviewed four Galleria Tenants on behalf of Childress Klein. 

Meet our friend and long-term tenant, Harry Bassler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry Bassler, Crim & Bassler

 

1.       How long have you been a tenant?

Over 26 years – since December 1, 1988.

 

2.       How many employees do you have?

Our firm has 19 people: eight lawyers, nine staff members and two temporary employees.

 

3.       What does your firm do?

Our trial lawyers are among the best. While we handle a range of cases, from personal injury to automobile liability defense and construction defects, among others, we have specialized expertise in insurance liability defense. That means we are engaged by insurance companies to defend people who have been sued. Our firm has decades of experience handling these types of cases and a reputation for achieving favorable outcomes for clients.

 

4.       Why is the Cumberland area and Atlanta Galleria a good place for you to do business?

We looked at several different parts of Atlanta when deciding where to locate our firm permanently. The most important factor was proximity to the many court houses in the area. We regularly handle cases across metro Atlanta, and Atlanta Galleria allows us to get just about anywhere within 30 to  45 minutes. We also spend a lot of time at our office, so it’s important to have an attractive, comfortable space. Atlanta Galleria met all of these needs, which is why we’ve been happy tenants for more than 26 years.

 

5.       What Atlanta Galleria amenity do you use the most? (gym, restaurants, etc.)

I’d have to say the Georgian Club. In fact, my son’s wedding reception dinner was held there. It’s a

great perk for Atlanta Galleria tenants.

 

6.       What are your thoughts on economic development in the Cumberland area and future growth?

We’ve seen significant growth in this area since moving in, including construction of several office buildings. The Braves’ move is obviously a big deal for this area, and I’m hopeful it will attract even more people to the area.

 

7.       What business successes or milestones have you achieved lately?

I’m very proud of our firm’s longevity and track record of success. We’ve been in the same office space since 1988, and I believe that’s a reflection of our stability and commitment to clients.

 

8.       What challenges are you confronting?

The practice of law is changing significantly. We used to take a lot more cases to trial, but now many are mediated instead. People and organizations are resolving more matters outside of litigation. We are still an integral part of that process, but it’s different than taking a case to trial.

 

9.       What does your office do to have fun together and build comradery?

Once a year we combine business and pleasure by taking an out-of-state trip together to do continuing legal education coursework. We’ve visited various places over the years, from San Diego

 

to New Orleans and St. Simons. It allows our attorneys to fulfill their legal requirements, but it’s also a good way to build stronger relationships with each other.

 

10.   Do you have any interesting hobbies?

The closest thing to a hobby for me is my love of travel. I recently returned from a vacation in China, which marks the seventh continent I’ve visited. Yes, I’ve even been to Antarctica.

 

 

Note: We are looking to chat with millennials who are tenants in our buildings.  Please email [email protected] for more information.

Greenway Health creating jobs at Atlanta Galleria

As you may or may not know, Atlanta Galleria has tenants that have officed here since the 80s.  In 30 years, we have had the pleasure of doing business with the best companies in the area.  We want to thank all of our tenants for making Atlanta Galleria so great year after year.  It's been an exciting and busy year. 

This week the announcement of 150 jobs to the Northwest market comes as our newest tenant, Greenway Health, preps to move in at the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. 

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2014/11/greenway-health-to-open-150employee-development.html

 

If you are a Galleria tenant and want to share something on the blog, contact [email protected]

Tenant Times: Sept. 23, 2014

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at [email protected].

Eight Straight. Atlanta Galleria tenant ITA Group has been named to MeetingsNet’s magazine’s CMI 25, a listing of what the publication deems the 25 most respected and experienced full-service meeting and incentive travel companies in North America. This marks the eighth consecutive year ITA Group has made the list.

“ITA Group is committed to designing and implementing events and incentive travel programs that truly change behavior and drive business success,” said Mary Bussone, senior vice president of event management at ITA Group, in a press release announcing the honor. “It’s such an exciting time in our industry. Never before has it been as critical to align and motivate the workforce.”

The CMI 25 list appears in the September issue of MeetingsNet and can also be viewed by clicking here.

Educational Growth in Texas. Atlanta Galleria tenant Balfour Beatty Construction has signed a $116 million contract to build a new, comprehensive high school in Denton, Texas. The school, slated for completion in 2016, will be one of 50 that Balfour Beatty has constructed for the Denton Independent School District.

“Our long-standing relationships in growth markets are critically important, and we are proud to be working with the district once again, and applying the latest innovations in construction methodology and technology to deliver more efficient, cost-effective buildings,” said Mark Layman, CEO of Balfour Beatty’s U.S. Construction Services business, in a press release.

The school will feature energy-efficient lighting and a 2,400-student capacity with the potential for future expansion.

Two Years of Distinction and Running. For the second consecutive year, Atlanta Galleria tenant PowerPlan has made the annual Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private U.S. companies.

PowerPlan, ranked number 3,582, was among 209 Georgia-based companies on the list.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized by Inc.,” said John Andrus, CEO of PowerPlan, in a press release. “In this our 20^th year, the fact that we are continuing to grow at a rapid race is a testament to our loyal customers and our employees who have helped us become the success we are today.”

Taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The companies who call the Atlanta Galleria Office Park home never fail to make us proud to call them our tenants. Case in point: the way they responded to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that has done so much to raise money and awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Below are clips, or links to clips, of four of our tenants — Ingenious Med, Freeman Mathis & Gary, Orange Business Services and Revegy — taking the Ice Bucket Challenge. This footage makes us very proud … and a little bit chilly too!

Ingenious Med:

 

Freeman Mathis & Gary: click here to see Freeman Mathis & Gary's video.

Orange Business Services:

 

Revegy: click here to see Revegy’s video.

If you’re a Galleria tenant and have footage of your firm taking the Ice Bucket Challenge, please send it to us by emailing [email protected].

Tenant Times: July 1, 2014

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at [email protected].

Batson-Cook Honored. Atlanta Galleria tenant Batson-Cook Construction has been awarded first-place awards by the Georgia Associated General Contractors (Georgia AGC) for the firm’s work on the Benton House Alpharetta and the Chattahoochee River Restoration projects.

The Georgia AGC aims to award general contractors and construction teams for exceptional project safety, meeting difficult job challenges, construction innovation, and excellence in project management and client service.

The company also received two Merit Awards from Georgia AGC for its work on Northside Hospital Hybrid Operating Room #4 in Sandy Springs and for the construction of Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Emergency Department and Surgery Addition project in Jasper, according to a recent press release.

School Will Soon Be in Session. Atlanta Galleria tenant Balfour Beatty Construction has completed the Solana Ranch Elementary School, a 68,000-square-foot campus situated on 11.65 acres in San Diego. Work on the sustainable campus began in November 2012, and the school will welcome new students this fall.

“We are vested in the community and share in the excitement and sense of pride,” said Brian Cahill, president of Balfour Beatty’s Southwest division in a press release. “It’s very gratifying to be part of the project team that built this beautiful new school where students, teachers, and staff can learn and grow in a healthy environment.”

Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects and Balfour Beatty Construction developed the campus. This is the second elementary school that Balfour Beatty has completed for the Solana Beach School District.

Taking Care of Business. Atlanta Galleria tenant The Shopping Center Group represented Sweetgreen in the health food chain’s June lease of 100 Kenmare Street, located in New York City.

The Kenmare Street location marks the chain’s fourth site in New York City. Other locations are in the Tribeca, Nomad and Williamsburg neighborhoods.

“Sweetgreen is looking to enter markets in neighborhoods,” said Taryn Brandes, a broker for The Shopping Center Group, in an article printed on The Commercial Observer’s website. “The food is authentic and so is their commitment to building real relationships in the communities where they operate.”

Tenant Times: May 30, 2014

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at [email protected].

Featured in Forbes. Atlanta Galleria tenant Ultimate Software, a cloud provider of human-resource software, recently announced it was ranked No. 8 on Forbes magazine’s 2014 list of “Most Innovative Growth Companies.”

Forbes compiles this list by looking at a company’s income from existing businesses, anticipated growth from those businesses and the net present value of those cash flows.

“We are very proud to have ranked so highly on this important list of innovative growth companies, and this recognition validates our commitment to research and development alongside our consistent business results,” said Scott Scherr, founder, president and CEO of Ultimate Software, in a press release.

Award Winning. The Shopping Center Group, an Atlanta Galleria tenant, received two awards for leasing excellence from American Realty Capital Properties Inc. (ARCP) at the recent ICSC RECon convention in Las Vegas. ARCP gives the awards to brokers who work on behalf of the company’s shopping center portfolio.

Janet Moore and Debra Ramey of The Shopping Center Group’s Richmond, Virginia, office won the Best Prospector Award. Moore and Ramey lease three ARCP properties totaling 650,000 square feet in Virginia. According to an ARCP press release, “Moore and Ramey were honored for consistently exceeding expectations, including in their tenacity in canvassing the market for new retailers, structuring leases and creating innovative marketing programs.”

Stephanie Addis and Jaclyn Langholz of The Shopping Center Group’s Tampa, Florida, office received the Allegiance Award. According to the release, “Addis and Langholz lease a grocery-anchored center in Homosassa, Florida, where they have exceeded initial projections by attracting four new tenants to the center as a result of a comprehensive prospecting campaign.”

“Being able to honor our deserving ‘boots-on-the-ground’ leasing partners is always one of my team’s highlights at RECon each year,” said Brett Sheets, senior vice president of leasing for ARCP, in a statement. “This is an excellent opportunity to recognize strong performance while educating the local leasing brokers on ARCP corporate initiatives.”

Growth for Starwood. Atlanta Galleria tenant Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. has announced that it plans to expand its Westin hotel brand to downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The hotel is slated to open in early 2017 and will feature 430 rooms, meeting space, a signature restaurant, rooftop pool and full-service spa.

“On track to open its 200th hotel worldwide this year, Westin is enjoying robust growth in North America due to the resounding success of its distinctive wellness positioning and brand-led programs,” said Allison Reid, senior vice president of North America development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, in a press release.

The Westin Nashville will be located across from the new Music City Center at 100 Clark Place.

Tenant Times: April 29, 2014

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at [email protected].

ITA Announces Annual Awards. Atlanta Galleria tenant ITA Group, a business consultant and event-management firm, recently announced the recipients of its annual Timeless Performance Awards, which recognize “the efforts of event management partners who mirror ITA Group’s own culture through integrity, passion, accountability and world-class service delivery,” according to a press release.

The winners are the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Odyssey International in Dublin and Mick Meegan Photography in Dublin.

“For ITA Group, delivering truly remarkable experiences requires the effort and expertise of many talented partners,” said Senior Vice President of Event Management Mary Bussone in a recent press release.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today. The Cobb Galleria Centre is celebrating its 20th anniversary by unveiling a new logo, advertising campaign, website, visual identity, and interior upgrades and renovations.

“What better time than our 20th anniversary and the completion of major renovations to unveil a fresh look for our signature mark and our re-designed website,” said Michele Swann, general manager and CEO of the Cobb Galleria, in a press release.

The Cobb Galleria Centre opened in January 1994 and “was the first convention facility in the country to combine exhibition and meeting space with a retail component and hotel in what was then considered a suburban location,” the press release said.

Since its opening, the Cobb Galleria Centre has made economic impacts of $1.8 billion on Cobb County and $2.6 billion on the state of Georgia, according to the facility’s website.

Balfour Beatty Receives Architectural Award. The Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt (EGWW) Federal Building in Portland, Ore. — built by a subsidiary of Atlanta Galleria tenant Balfour Beatty — has been named one of the 10 best examples of sustainable architecture and green design by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE).

“We are elated that the EGWW Federal Building project was selected by COTE, from a field of hundreds, to be included in this prestigious group of award-winning projects,” said Balfour Beatty’s Jim Sather in a press release. “By working as an integrated team with [the General Services Administration], our subcontractors, and design counterparts, this modernization project is now among the most efficient facilities in the GSA portfolio. It is an outstanding example of the best of our industry.”

In addition to the COTE award, the EGWW building is LEED Platinum-certified and has won two national Awards of Merit from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Help Digital Insurance "Stick It to Lupus"

 

Leeman with her son Colin

When Audrey Leeman, a client services supervisor for Atlanta Galleria tenant Digital Insurance, learned she had lupus more than two years ago, she didn’t take the diagnosis lying down. In fact, she’s been trying to “stick it” to the autoimmune disease ever since.

She and her Digital Insurance colleagues did just that last week, when they raised more than $2,300 to fund research into the disease and to support those suffering from it. Through a fundraising effort they are calling “Stick It to Lupus,” Leeman and her co-workers sold more than 2,300 pieces of tape for a $1 each; the pieces were then used to stick Leeman, Digital Insurance CEO Adam Bruckman and Senior Programmer Analyst Kenith Threatte to a wall.

“Audrey’s passion and enthusiasm is so inspiring,” said Maria Myler, president and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America’s Georgia Chapter, at the taping event. “She’s done so much to help spread the word, so that other people are aware of the signs and symptoms of a disease that can take three to four years to diagnose.”

The taping isn’t the only component of the “Stick It” campaign. Leeman is hoping to raise another $2,700 — for a total of $5,000 — by the end of May, and additional fundraising initiatives will include a silent auction, the company’s participation in the Atlanta Lupus Walk this Saturday and the placement of purple donation cans at the Atlanta Galleria’s Food Truck Tuesdays. Digital Insurance will have a table at the Food Truck Tuesday on May 13.

May is Lupus Awareness Month. Lupus affects more than 1.5 million people nationwide.

For more information, email Leeman's donation page.

Tenant Q&A: Sam Latone of The Shopping Center Group

Sam Latone is co-CEO of The Shopping Center Group, a leading retail real estate service company and an Atlanta Galleria tenant. In this Q&A, we get to know more about his firm, and we get Latone’s insight on what kinds of retail properties are succeeding today, the pace of retail sales … and what makes for total relaxation.

Many thanks to Sam for his time.

AG: Give us a quick overview of The Shopping Center Group. Who are your clients and what services do you offer them?

Latone: Our clients include investors in retail properties as well as retailers and restaurant operators. For investors, we provide a comprehensive array of services, including leasing, property management, investment sales, construction supervision, development consulting and acquisition advisory.

We help tenants identify and lease the space that’s right for them, and we guide them through the disposition of excess property, an often-overlooked element of a retailer’s expansion and repositioning program.

Our landlord clients include the nation’s leading pension funds, insurance companies, public and private REITs and financial institutions. The retailers and restaurateurs we represent include virtually every category of retail and price point of the restaurant community.

AG: Which kinds of retail properties are poised to succeed in today's environment, and which kinds of assets are likely to struggle?

Latone: Core and core-plus properties (Class A properties that have a solid merchandising mix and are in markets with strong demographics) continue to do well. Generally, these assets are experiencing high levels of occupancy and, in many markets, very meaningful rent growth.

Conversely, Class C assets with no repositioning opportunity and/or those that are located in submarkets with weak demographic characteristics (in particular, a lack of population density) have struggled and will continue to struggle. In fact, these assets make up the lion’s share of vacancy in most markets.

In many cases, these projects were ill conceived to begin with, and if they were built during the last run up in the market, they may have first-generation space that has never been leased and may not ever get leased. Ultimately, these assets will continue to deteriorate and will need to be taken out of the retail inventory.

AG: With nearly two months of 2014 in the books, what is your assessment about the pace of retail sales in the country – are they strong enough to indicate that the economy is gaining serious momentum?

Latone: Although, on average, retail sales growth was about 3.5 percent in 2013, the tail of the bell curve is significant. On the one hand, properties that are well located and well merchandised may see double-digit sales growth. On the other hand, the opposite is true for those properties that suffer from the lack of good demographics and lack appropriate co-tenancy; these assets are seeing negative sales trends on a year-over-year basis.

As far as retail expenditures, consumer sentiment continues to be positive. This positive sentiment is being driven by the combination of an improving jobs and housing market picture, stable fuel prices and a stock market that may see some correction in 2014 but is still trading at high levels. So, absent a shock to the economy or some unexpected global event, we would expect a solid year of total U.S retail sales growth.

As far as categories of retailers, similar to property types, there is a significant bifurcation: discount and luxury retailers are doing very well, while mid-priced retailers typically are struggling.

AG: On a lighter note, tell us what your idea of the perfect day away from the office is.

Latone: Sitting on the beach, under an umbrella, with a drink in one hand and a great book in the other.

AG: Finally, what is your favorite thing about having an office in the Atlanta Galleria?

Latone: The Childress Klein people were fantastic to work with when we moved into the 300 building in 2008 and have been fantastic to work with ever since. It goes to show what a difference a great management company can make to a tenant experience. Moreover, amenities like the Athletic Club, the Georgian Club, the hotel and the cafeteria options make it a wonderful environment to be a part of.