McCarthy Building Cos. Honored With Prestigious National Award

(left to right) J. Doug Pruitt, AGC President; Timothy Mikolajewski, Liberty Mutual Agency Markets and President of Liberty Mutual Surety; Sylvia Botero, Principle RBB Architects; Todd Foos, Project Manager McCarthy; Mark Bucknam, Project Manager St. Joseph Health System; James Ho, Regional Manager St. Joseph Health System.



NEWPORT BEACH, CA,  April 9, 2010 -- McCarthy Building Companies Inc., one of the nation’s leading healthcare builders, was selected as a winner of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America 2009 Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Awards for the $153 million Patient Care Tower at Mission Hospital. (middle left and right photos)

The award was presented on March 18, 2010 at the AGC’s 90th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. The Patient Care Center was one of just three projects receiving a Partnering award.

The AGC Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award recognizes successful partnerships and collaborations that work to improve construction projects.

Contractors honored with this award stand out for their ability to achieve common goals, resolving conflict and improve communication on the project with all audiences.

“McCarthy was selected for the award because of its success building the partnerships needed to complete a new patient care tower at Mission Hospital while working at an operational medical facility,” said Doug Pruitt, (lower left photo) President of AGC of America.

“McCarthy had to find ways to connect the new tower to the existing hospital while working around an active parking lot, underground tunnel and countless utility lines. If it wasn’t for the company’s approach to partnering, the project would not have been the success it is today.”

Designed by RBB Architects Inc., the new four-level patient care tower at Mission Hospital features a patient-centered design along with next-generation advancements in healthcare technology and seismic building safety.

The Mission Hospital Patient Care Tower project team tackled numerous challenges and overcame all of these through a spirited partnering approach coupled with an integrated project delivery method.

As a result of this collaborative team effort, the project was built with exceptional quality and was delivered on-time, within budget, and with zero claims.

Throughout design and construction, the 94,000-square-foot Patient Care Tower project encountered a host of potential budget and schedule threatening challenges such as unusually complex mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and the very stringent seismic requirements for California healthcare projects.

Beyond those, additional complications entailed: multi-level connections to the existing hospital; a tight site adjacent to the existing operational hospital; a highly complex building skin; complicated bridge construction, as well as the design and installation of the latest Imaging equipment technology.

The success of this project was optimized through the team’s collaborative partnering efforts, including reaching out to all of the stakeholders from the crafts workers to project executives, end-users, and even the local community. The project was completed ahead of schedule and opened in November 2009.

“Throughout the Mission Hospital Patient Care Tower project, the team established focused objectives and routinely challenged themselves to surpass previous benchmarks of project goals,” said James Ho, (bottom right photo)  Regional Director of Construction for St. Joseph Health Systems.

“We are extremely proud to have been a part of this successful and distinguished project. The level of commitment and partnership has set a new precedent for excellence and a model for partnering on future projects.”

Contact:

Laura Mickelson (LM Communications), (949) 453-0851
Susan Garritano (McCarthy Building Companies Inc.), (314) 968-3300

Four More Luxury Hotels to Join Wyndham Brand in China

PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 9, 2010 – Following the recent addition of three luxury hotels in the key markets of Shanghai, Changsha and Hangzhou, Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced its continued expansion in China with agreements to open four additional new luxury Wyndham® hotels in the cities of Chengdu, Suzhou, Shanghai and Kunming.

Soon to join the brand’s prestigious Wyndham Grand Collection are the 420-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace Chengdu, the 311-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Jingsi Garden Suzhou and the 374-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Colorful Kunming.

Also joining the brand is the 321-room Wyndham Shanghai Bund East. All four hotels, which are currently under construction, will be managed by Greater China Hospitality (H.K.) Limited.

“We are delighted to continue our long time relationship with veteran hotelier Wilburt Chang and especially proud to welcome several outstanding properties to the Wyndham Grand Collection, our most distinguished ensemble of hotels,” said Eric Danziger (top right photo) , Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive officer. “The addition of these hotels strengthens our position as the largest U.S.-based hotel company in China.”

Wyndham Hotel Group’s 207 hotels in China represent 33,336 rooms in primary and secondary cities under the Wyndham, Ramada®, Howard Johnson®, Days Inn® and Super 8® brands. The Wyndham brand debuted in China in 2009 with the opening of the 588-room Wyndham Xiamen. The 337-room Wyndham Baolian Hotel is scheduled to open next year.

“Our hotels and the Wyndham Grand Collection are setting new expectations for luxury accommodations in China,” said Wilburt Chang, (lower left photo) chairman and chief executive officer of Greater China Hospitality (H.K.) Limited. “It is exciting to be at the leading edge of our country’s lodging industry at a time of incredible growth in our national economy.”

Contact: Evy Apostolatos, +1 (973) 753-6590, evy.apostolatos@wyndhamworldwide.com

NAI Realvest Appoints Robert A. Boyd, CSM, Senior Vice President for CommerCenters, LLC and NAI Realvest

MAITLAND - NAI Realvest and its real estate development affiliate Florida CommerCenters have appointed Robert A. Boyd (top left photo)  senior vice president for both CommerCenters, LLC and NAI Realvest.

George Livingston, (middle right photo)  chairman emeritus of NAI Realvest and CommerCenters, LLC, said Boyd earned his MBA Degree from Stanford University and has more than 30 years of experience in commercial property development, asset management and investment sales.

Throughout his career, Boyd has held senior level positions in the USA and Middle East, where he specialized in many areas of business and real estate including investment analysis, investment advisory services, acquisitions, asset management, business development, sales and marketing.

Most recently Boyd was president of Florida Arabco & International Solutions Collaborative and responsible for the site selection, acquisitions, design and development, management, leasing and sales of shopping centers, office towers and master planned communities.

Some of his clients have included CNL, Houston Pavilions, Emmitt Smith, Hines Interests, Hollywood Center Studios, Winter Park Mall/Village, Fields Automotive Group, Saudi Economic Development Company and Simon Properties.

“Bob Boyd is a highly experienced Real Estate and Investment executive and we are pleased to have Bob rejoin our management team. He will play an important role in our continued growth and have responsibility for international Business Development and Investment Advisory Services,” Livingston said.

NAI Realvest is a commercial real estate brokerage company whose core business includes land, retail, office, industrial and multifamily properties. Florida CommerCenters develops industrial warehouses, distribution centers and flex-space throughout Central Florida.

For more information, contact:
George Livingston, Chairman Emeritus, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 glivingston@realvest.com;
Patrick Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com;
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com

Commercial Real Estate Veteran Bruce Lyons to Lead Asset Management at Crossman & Co.

ORLANDO - Crossman & Company, the Orlando-based commercial property firm that ranks as one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management firms in the Southeast, recently hired Bruce Lyons (top right photo)  to lead its asset management and receivership division.

John Crossman, (bottom left photo) president of Crossman & Company, said Lyons brings more than 40 years of experience in investment analysis, development, financing, construction, leasing, marketing, property management and investment sales to the Crossman organization.

For more than a decade, he managed and directed special assets, workouts and distressed property repositioning for financial institutions. His previous headquarters were in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

“Bruce Lyons is one of the most highly experienced real estate executives out there, and we are very proud he has joined the Crossman & Company team.” Crossman added, “He brings invaluable leadership and experience to our growing team.”

Contacts:
John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com;
Molly Delahunty, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6220 mdelahunty@crossmanco.com;
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com.

Cotter-Ryan Commercial Awarded Contract to Expand Aloma Cinema Grill and Draft House

LONGWOOD - Cotter-Ryan Commercial LLC, based in Longwood, was recently awarded a contract to expand the 18,000 square foot Aloma Cinema Grill and Draft House  (top left photo) on Aloma Avenue off Lakemont Avenue in Winter Park.

Scott Ryan, president of Cotter-Ryan Commercial, said the $150,000 project will add a third theater to the Aloma Cinema Grill which will expand the facility by 3,500 square feet. Once completed the Aloma Cinema Grill and Draft House will seat 195 patrons

For more information, contact:
Scott H. Ryan, President, Cotter Ryan Commercial, LLC, 407-786-7686 sryan@cotterryan.com
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

Sonny O’Drobinak Joins Grubb & Ellis as Vice President, Office Group

WALNUT CREEK, CA – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm,  announced that Sonny O’Drobinak (top right photo) , CPM, has joined the company as vice president, Office Group from Colliers International. He will specialize in leasing and selling medical office properties.

O’Drobinak will be joined by Josh Scott,  (lower left photo) senior associate, Office Group, who also comes to Grubb & Ellis from Colliers International. O’Drobinak and Scott will be members of Grubb & Ellis’ Healthcare practice group.

“I have worked with Sonny for more than 10 years. He is an incredible asset for growing our medical office practice in the Walnut Creek office,” said Ed Del Beccaro, (bottom right photo)  executive vice president, managing director, Walnut Creek.

“He joins Grubb & Ellis with a proven track record, an in-depth understanding of the sector and many client relationships.”

O’Drobinak brings 27 years of commercial real estate experience to Grubb & Ellis, having spent the past 10 years as vice president, Medical Division, at Colliers International, where he developed the company’s East Bay Medical Division, as well as representing clients in the leasing, sales, acquisitions, development and management of medical office properties.

 Earlier, O’Drobinak spent six years as the regional manager of PM Realty Group, spearheading the company’s management and leasing of Columbia HCA’s medical office portfolio, which included a 2-million square-foot portfolio consisting of 50 buildings in 10 western states.

He began his career in 1983 with JMB Realty Corporation. O’Drobinak holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.

Scott brings three years of commercial real estate experience to Grubb & Ellis. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

Contact: Julia McCartney, Phone: 714.975.2230, Email: julia.mccartney@grubb-ellis.com

Marcus & Millichap Hires Ron Blanton as Senior Associate in Fort Worth, TX

FORT WORTH, TX – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has hired Ron Blanton (top right photo) a leading office and industrial investment specialist in its Fort Worth office, according to David Luther, (bottom  left photo) regional manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Fort Worth office.

Blanton, who joins Marcus & Millichap as a director of the National Office and Industrial Properties Group, will focus on the sale of office and industrial properties throughout Texas and the South Central United States.

“We are excited to have Ron join our firm,” says Luther. “His advisory and sales team leadership has resulted in the closing of transactions with an aggregate value of more than $1.3 billion, representing greater than 11 million square feet of commercial real estate investment property.”

“Marcus & Millichap’s national brokerage and marketing platform will allow me to more effectively grow and serve my nationwide client base,” says Blanton. “The firm strives to be a long-term advisor to investors, which is very important in my business.”

Prior to joining Marcus & Millichap, Blanton served in leadership roles with Jones Lang LaSalle, The Staubach Company and The Stan Johnson Company. He has also supported the efforts of office and industrial property developers, tenants and investors through the use of sale- leaseback structured transactions with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, GSA-FBI, Magellan Healthcare, Diebold, Preferred Freezer, HSBC, Verizon, Hy-Vee Grocery and many others.

Contact: Stacey Corso, Public Relations Manager, (925) 953-1716

Equity Investment Services Brokers 815,000 SF-Plus in First-Quarter Leasing Activity

ORLANDO, FL--Nicholas E. Ledvora, (top right photo)  CCIM and Christopher M. Savino are pleased to announce Equity Investment Services successfully executed more than 815,000 square feet of exclusive landlord representation leasing assignments in the first quarter of 2010.

The new assignments include 9 shopping centers and 3 office buildings in the Greater Orlando market. Major tenants in the new assignments include Publix, Aldi, Winn Dixie, and Save-A-Lot.

During the first quarter Nathan R. Cutchin (middle left photo) and Sebastian M. Smith (bottom right photo) successfully executed 20 retail and office leases with a total base term rental amount of $1,750,000. Notable tenant leases include Pinch-A-Penny, Verizon Wireless, Snap Fitness, Dresses for Less and Ingram Financial Group.

Equity Investment Services employs a complete staff of experienced brokerage, leasing, and management professionals. EIS exclusively leases and manages approximately 2,000,000 square feet across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida.

Contact: Alana L. Champagne, Operations Manager, Director of Property Management, 820 North Thornton Avenue ♦ Orlando, FL 32803. Phone: 407.573.0711 ♦ Fax: 407.573.0710. Email: AChampagne@EISRE.com
 http://www.eisre.com/

Sean Peterson joins D & A as an account manager in Longwood, FL

LONGWOOD, FL — D & A Building Services Inc., a leading facility maintenance provider, is pleased to announce that Sean Petersen (top right photo)  has joined the Company as an Account Manager in its Landscape Division.

Peterson has more than ten years of experience in the landscape industry. He has an Associate of Applied Science in Turf Management from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga. Peterson was previously employed by Down To Earth Inc. in Apopka, Fla.

D & A Building Services Inc. is a privately owned facility maintenance provider founded in 1985.

Headquartered in Longwood, Fla., full service offices are located in Jacksonville, Fla., Tampa, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., Madison, Wis., Dallas, Texas, and Detroit, Mich. Services are provided by a staff of 650 to property managers, building owners, local and state governments, Federal agencies, and the military.

The veteran-owned company is an Hispanic-Owned Business Enterprise, and a graduate of the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program.

D & A wins Jones Lang LaSalle contract for Class A Office Building in Orlando Central Park

LONGWOOD, FL — D & A Building Services Inc., a leading facility maintenance provider, has secured a new contract with Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) for 5900 Lake Ellenor (bottom left photo) , a Class A office building located in Orlando Central Park, Orlando, Fla.

Under its scope of services, D & A is providing full-service janitorial services for the eight-story, 128,000-square-foot building.

Since the early 1990s, D & A has provided facility maintenance services to the property management division of Jones Lang LaSalle, and currently performs a variety of services at seven properties in Florida.

For additional information, please visit http://www.dabuildingservices.com/.

PR Contact: Elaine Ingra, (407) 384-1344 elainei@pr-works.com