University of South Alabama Appoints Stirling Properties’ Nathan Handmacher To Center for Real Estate and Economic Development Advisory Board
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce that Nathan Handmacher, Senior Sales and Leasing Executive, has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the University of South Alabama’s (USA) Center for Real Estate and Economic Development.
The USA Center For Real Estate and Economic Development and the Real Estate Program select members of the local real estate industry to serve on the Advisory Board. Their mission is to achieve a high-quality educational program and real-world experience for USA students, respond to educational and informational needs of the local real estate community, and offer a curriculum that is nationally competitive.
Handmacher has been active in the commercial real estate business for more than 12 years, and has experience in all facets of the industry, including tenant representation, commercial sales and leasing, asset and property management, development, and investment sales. He has knowledge in every aspect of commercial real estate: office, retail, land and industrial properties. In addition to providing brokerage services, Handmacher currently manages a diverse portfolio of more than 600,000 square feet of retail, office and industrial property.
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Handmacher is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia with a degree in marketing. He currently resides in Fairhope with his wife and children, and is very active in the community. Handmacher is the Immediate Past President of the Mobile Touchdown Club, Board Member of the Mobile Area Jewish Federation, Treasurer of The Learning Tree, Inc., Trustee of the Springhill Avenue Temple, a member of the Program Committee of the Community Foundation of South Alabama, and a member of the 2006 Class of Leadership Mobile.
Nathan Handmacher can be reached at nhandmacher@stirlingprop.com or (251) 342-7229.
Stirling Properties is located in One St. Louis Centre, 1 St. Louis Street, Suite 4100 in Mobile. For more information regarding our services, please visit us at www.stirlingproperties.com.
Stirling Properties Names Mike Bucher Vice President Of Development
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce Mike Bucher has been promoted from Development Director to Vice President of Development. Bucher will manage and lead the company’s new office location at the Pan American Life Center in New Orleans.
Bucher joined Stirling Properties in 2014 as Development Director, responsible for leading new and ongoing development projects, including ground-up development, redevelopment and joint ventures as part of the company’s initiative to expand its services across the Gulf South. In addition to these responsibilities, Bucher will also be tasked with new business development, specifically focused on the New Orleans market. He will assume the role of lead point of contact for all New Orleans commerce.
“New Orleans continues to be one of our most important areas for commercial real estate management, development, brokerage, and investment, and we look forward to expanding our presence in this market,” said Bucher. “We are well situated to focus on growing our business by offering our full range of services out of the new Pan Am office, and our central location will make it easier for us to recruit and retain the best talent New Orleans has to offer.”
“Mike has been a great leader and an integral part of Stirling Properties’ growth, and we are proud to announce his promotion,” said Marty Mayer, President & CEO of Stirling Properties. “We recently expanded into a larger space at the Pan American Life Center in New Orleans’ CBD, and we are excited to have Mike at the helm of this new venture.”
Prior to joining Stirling Properties, Bucher was a Development Associate at Federal Realty Investment Trust in Boston, MA, where he was primarily responsible for the project management and financial analysis for Assembly Row, the Trust’s 5-million-square-foot, mixed-use development in Somerville, MA. Bucher managed the planning and underwriting of the project, including 325K square feet of nationally-branded retail, 100K square feet of Class-A office space, and a joint venture partnership that built 450 market-rate apartment units.
Bucher holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, with specializations in corporate finance and investment banking. He is an active member of the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), for which he was a member of the Centerbuild “20 Under 40” inaugural class of 2013.
Mike Bucher can be reached at (504) 523-4481 or mbucher@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties Relocates New Orleans Office To Pan American Life Center
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce the relocation of its New Orleans office to the Pan American Life Center at 601 Poydras Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The company has moved from its former location at 615 Baronne Street—where Stirling Properties has been located for the past 25 years—and combined more than 30 employees, commercial brokers, and building management staff into one central office. Stirling Properties occupies more than 6,700 square feet of office space on the 27th floor of the Pan American Life Center.
“Stirling Properties is committed to the greater New Orleans area and business community, and we are expanding our presence in the market. New Orleans continues to be one of our most important areas for commercial real estate management, development, brokerage, and investment,” said Mike Bucher, Stirling Properties Vice President of Development. “Our new location will enable us to better focus on new business, as well as position us to recruit and retain the best talent New Orleans has to offer.”
“As part of Stirling Properties’ growth strategy, we are expanding into a larger space, located in the heart of the city—in a building that Stirling owns. It just makes sense,” said Marty Mayer, Stirling Properties President & CEO.
Stirling Properties acquired the Pan American Life Center in 2010, and currently manages the property. Earlier this year, plans ensued to transform the building into a mixed-use office and retail space, housing tenants such as Starbucks, Tsunami Sushi and Morris Bart, with additional occupants in the works.
For more information, visit stirlingproperties.com.
Women In Commercial Real Estate Are Making Progress!
Even though Women’s History Month has come to an end,
let’s not let the spotlight fade.
Last month, we celebrated Women’s History Month, an annual declaration that spotlights the contributions of women to events in history and our society. We reflected on the amazing accomplishments and resilience of the many women that paved the way for equality, especially in the workforce.
While we still have a great deal of ground to make up, I think it’s important to recognize how far women have progressed. Consider the recent advancement of Louisiana legislation aimed at closing the income gap and gender inequality. News headlines continue to cast a spotlight on gender barriers every day.
A recent comprehensive study commissioned by CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Network, 2015 Benchmark Study Report: Women in Commercial Real Estate, found that women in commercial real estate are more satisfied with their career progression than they were a decade ago, a substantial leap for our industry. The improvements included more women filling senior vice president, managing director and partner positions—even women starting their own real estate companies. Women in commercial real estate have achieved equal or close-to-equal standing as men in many aspects. (Read the full report HERE.) This information is a timely and welcomed example of some of the strides women are making.
Also, according to Womenable’s 2016 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, the number of women-owned real estate firms has exceeded overall growth in the industry by an 11-point gap, and women-owned brokerages have also seen a nearly 30% increase in sales.
Women entrepreneurs are reaching historic achievements. On a national scale, the number of women-owned businesses has grown five times faster than the national average. From 2007 to 2016, the number of women-owned firms increased by 45%, and women started roughly 1,072 new businesses daily! There are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses across the nation, generating more than $1.6 trillion in revenue and employing nearly 9 million people.
The South has seen the greatest growth in women-owned businesses, with eight of the 10 fastest growing states in our region. Locally, the number of women-owned businesses in Louisiana has grown by 48.8% since 2007, ranking our state 10th nationally for growth of such industries. (For more statistics on women in the workforce, view the entire report HERE.)
It’s truly an exciting and rewarding time to be a business owner today. We’re breaking traditional gender molds and showing how women can be effective in leadership positions. Since 2010, Stirling Properties has achieved some of its greatest accomplishments, and I am proud to have played a role in that.
Today, Stirling Properties manages 16.4 million square feet of property, an increase of 50% since 2010. In addition, total gross revenue has increased by 140% and management fees are up 67%! Watch our complete Stirling Properties highlight video HERE.
I have had the pleasure of working in the real estate industry for more than 30 years, and am very involved in the community, as well as numerous nonprofit organizations and networking affiliations. I am one of the founding members of the New Orleans CREW organization and served as President and Board member for many years. I am familiar with the struggles women have faced in this industry, but also appreciate the headway that we have made.
More and more women are exceeding in the workplace, at home and in the community. Women across the Gulf South region are leading businesses and setting a standard of professional and personal excellence on a daily basis. The barriers are coming down. Industries—such as commercial real estate—that were once dominated by men are filling with talented ladies.
If you are interested in pursuing a real estate career, don’t shy away from the possibilities. Establish, strengthen and expand your professional networks. Organizations like CREW offer mentorship and networking functions. There are so many strong, smart, trailblazing women out there that we can look to as role models.
And never underestimate the resilience of women. Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the New Orleans CREW affiliation lost more than half of its membership. But with the help of local commercial real estate businesses and national supporters, we were able to come back stronger than ever…and even increase our membership!
Support and comradery are crucial in any industry. Personally, I rely on my networking circles and business acquaintances often for support, and my affiliations have significantly contributed to my success. I encourage you to get involved. Grow a strong foundation. Lead the way for many more women to follow.
So even though Women’s History Month has come to an end, let’s not let the spotlight fade. As we turn the calendar page and welcome the spring season, let’s celebrate a time for opportunity and growth that will last throughout the year and beyond.
Louisiana State University Takes 3rd Place In Global ARGUS Software University Challenge
Propels national spotlight on growing educational real estate programs
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce students from Louisiana State University (LSU) E.J. Ourso Business School have placed 3rd in the global 2016 ARGUS Software University Challenge.
For the past several years, ARGUS Software has hosted the competitive challenge for university students from around the world aspiring to be real estate professionals. Through this challenge, students create real-world investment strategies through informed decisions using ARGUS solutions. A panel of judges from the academic community and industry participated in reviewing the case studies and nominating the winners.
More than 40 top real estate programs from national universities participated in the competition. The team from LSU—Jason Wyman, Eddie Saa, Jacob Kerr, Alysha Meadors and Robin Day—was coached by Stirling Properties Asset/Finance Manager, Justin Landry. Landry serves as an adjunct professor teaching Finance 7720 (Commercial Real Estate Investing). This is the 5th year an LSU team has competed in the ARGUS Software Challenge, and marks the 1st time placing under Landry’s leadership.
“Our team is thrilled to have placed among the top three teams in the country, especially among such prestigious schools and highly respected real estate programs,” said Robin Day, 2016 ARGUS Software University participant from LSU. “We were given the invaluable opportunity to learn from real-world scenarios. The challenge was a direct correlation to the types of trials real estate industry professionals encounter on a daily basis. Working as a team from various backgrounds allowed us the chance to share ideas and learn from one another. We created a more robust solution by combining our diverse knowledge bases than any of us could have accomplished individually.”
LSU’s team secured $2,000 for their university through ARGUS Software. In addition, the students were bestowed the 2016 ICSC Maurin Ogden Foundation LSU Scholarship Award, funded by Jimmy Maurin and Roger Ogden, founders of Stirling Properties. Through the scholarship, students will receive all-expense-paid attendance to the ICSC RECon Convention in Las Vegas. Each year Stirling Properties chaperones five LSU Award Recipients to the convention, offering the students valuable exposure to industry leaders and potential employers.
“This scholarship has been tremendously successful, and we’ve had a handful of students who received jobs as a result of attending the conference. But none of this would be possible without the generosity of Stirling’s founders, Jimmy Maurin and Roger Ogden. There are no two people more committed to LSU, real estate and education,” said Landry. “We couldn’t be more proud of this team of students. They have worked so hard for all that they have accomplished this semester.”
Coming on the heels of other recent LSU E.J. Ourso Business School advancements, this is another significant win that students and supporters hope will propel a national spotlight on the growing finance and real estate programs at the university.
For more information about Finance 7720 (Commercial Real Estate Investing) and its objectives contact Justin Landry at jclandry@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties is located at United Plaza, 8550 United Plaza Boulevard, Suite 303 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more information regarding our services, please visit us at www.stirlingproperties.com.
Stirling Properties Celebrates Team Members At Annual Stirling Honors Event
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company recently celebrated its 17th Annual Stirling Honors to recognize the successes and accomplishments of the Stirling Team over the past year. The Stirling Honors luncheon was held at the beautiful Civic Theatre in New Orleans. A Commercial Celebration Dinner was also held to honor Commercial Agents and to grant Commercial Production Awards at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. 
Although fierce weather conditions engulfed the area, Stirling employees were treated to a day of fellowship, food and festivities. A flash-mob dance troupe from Dancing Grounds kicked off the morning with high-energy and excitement. Sonny Lee, Founder and President of Son of a Saint nonprofit organization, delivered the keynote speech and renowned New Orleans musicians, Tanya & Dorise, closed out the event. Marty Mayer, Stirling Properties President & CEO, served as the event host and emcee, and discussed the importance of seizing opportunities within the industry. OPPORTUNITY remained the overarching theme of the day, inspired by the famous quote from basketball coaching legend, John Wooden: “When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.” 
Commercial Award recipients received recognition for Bronze, Silver, Platinum, Diamond and Ruby production levels based on individual Adjusted Gross Commission figures for 2015. Special recognition was given to Rhonda Sharkawy, Senior Retail Leasing and Development Executive in New Orleans, for being the Top Commercial Agent in 2015!
COMMERCIAL DIVISION AWARDS
Ruby Award 2015:
Emerald Award 2015:
Diamond Award 2015:
Platinum Award 2015:
Gold Award 2015:
Silver Award 2015:
Bronze Award 2015:
Also recognized were employees and agents who achieved special anniversaries with the company. Service Awards were given to 5, 10, 15 and 20-year milestones.
SERVICE AWARDS
5 Years of Service Ed Moore – Covington, LA Office Ryan Murphy – Covington, LA Office John Reynolds – Covington, LA Office Mike Washburn – Covington, LA Office Jimmy Gomez – New Orleans, LA Office Gregory Gautreaux – New Orleans, LA Office Nancy Rome – New Orleans, LA Office Joseph Kimble – New Orleans, LA Office Solomon Lewis – New Orleans, LA Office 10 Years of Service Marcia McGarrity – Covington, LA Office Laura Wallace – Covington, LA Office Dick Cyr – Covington, LA Office 15 Years of Service Lynn Blanchard – Baton Rouge, LA Office Tina Crouchet – Covington, LA Office Chris Abadie – Covington, LA Office Elizabeth Schmelling – Covington, LA Office Beezie Landry – Covington, LA Office Nancy Stallings Dischler – Covington, LA Office 20 Years of Service Lee de la Houssaye – Covington, LA Office
