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| Bernard “Bernie” Huberman |
· Huberman developed the largest waste transfer facility in Los
Angeles at the time.
· He went on to found BLT Enterprises, a firm that has invested in more than $2 billion in commercial real estate to date.
· BLT is one of the largest private commercial property owners in Southern
California and continues to actively invest in and operate high-quality real
estate throughout the state.
Los
Angeles, CA – The world lost a real estate legend on July 10 as Bernard
“Bernie” Huberman, age 65, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by
loved ones.
A
son of Russian immigrants who grew up in Boyle Heights working at his father’s
scrap metal yard as a kid, Huberman pioneered the concept of a waste
transfer and recycling facility early in his career – a move
that transformed the industry and paved the way for the creation of BLT Enterprises in 1984.
 |
| Daniel (Dan) Rosenthal |
Huberman
started the business driving a trash truck, and during his career developed,
owned and operated large scale transfer stations and recycling facilities
throughout California, with a core focus on sustainability and recycling.
Never
one to sit still, Huberman and his business partner, Dan Rosenthal,
jumped into the real estate business early in their careers.
 |
| Robert (Rob) Solomon |
They
bought their first property together in 1987. Once they were bit by the real
estate bug, they never stopped.
“Our
first large scale waste facility was in Downtown Los Angeles on Washington and
Alameda,” says Rosenthal, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative
Officer at BLT.
“We
spent a lot of time in the area at the time and came across opportunities to
acquire industrial properties that most real estate investors shied away from.
 |
Nikolette Huberman Jacob
|
"After
we acquired a significant number of properties, Bernie and I realized that we
couldn’t run the real estate business without building a leadership team like
we did in the waste business.”
Today,
BLT is a multi-faceted real estate development and investment company with a
track record of success, and is well positioned for continued growth.
“Bernie
had the rare combination of business acumen, empathy and passion,” says Robert
Solomon, Chief Development & Legal Officer of BLT.
“His
early experiences as a truck driver and operator of waste facilities gave him
an insider’s knowledge into industrial real estate at a time when that product
type was rarely considered attractive.
"Today,
with the rise of ecommerce, the growing demand for logistics facilities, and
the supply/demand imbalance in most areas, industrial product is the most
in-demand in the nation, putting BLT in a tremendously strong position.”
The
company, which was founded in Los Angeles, then headquartered in Oxnard,
California until its return to Los Angeles in 2016, currently has over three
million square feet of industrial, creative office and sound stages under
ownership.
“Bernie
was a champion for measured, strategic growth,” says Rosenthal. “That guiding
principle drives everything we do at BLT, resulting in our strong financial
position and reputation as a trusted buyer, seller, owner and operator.”
Beyond
this success, a culture of learning and inclusion has been fostered at BLT from
the beginning, according to Nikolette Huberman Jacob, Manager of Real
Estate Investment & Director of Corporate Philanthropy.
“My
father’s focus was always on teaching,” says Huberman Jacob. “He trained and
educated his team exceptionally well.
"One of his priorities in recent years
has been to help people feel confident in their decisions, and the result is a
remarkably proficient team with a successful track record to prove it.”
The
firm continues to grow in accordance with its investment strategy and remains
committed to its mission to “better the communities that have helped BLT
succeed by improving the lives of families in need.”
BLT actively supports causes that
help children, promote wellness, alleviate homelessness, and give back to local
communities.
 |
| Shawn Guttersen |
Shawn
Guttersen,
a partner in BLT since 1998 and a senior member of BLT’s waste and recycling
leadership team, says: “The entire BLT family has each been blessed by Bernie’s
vibrancy, generosity, forward-looking energy, and most importantly, fairness.
"His
legacy will always be at the core of BLT. His heart is in everything the
company does, now and in the future.”
CONTACTS:
Elisabeth
Manville or Jenn Quader
Brower
Group
(949)
438-6262
emanville@brower-group.com
