St. John Properties was selected NAIOP’s 2018 Developer of the Year due to its “ extraordinary commitment to not only develop a quality product, but also to enrich communities. This made a tremendous impression on the selection committee.
It’s clear that the company values its employees, takes pride in the quality
developments that form its vast portfolio and has an extraordinary commitment to the communities where it does business. ”
By Ron Derven
Joan Woodard, Developer of the Year selection committee chair at NAIOP and president and CEO of Simons & Woodard Inc., Santa Rosa, California
T HE PEOPLE AT St. John Proper- ties don’t just talk about a commit- ment to excellence, they practice it every day. A founding principle that permeates the DNA of the 180-per- son Maryland-based company is its focus on the long term when it comes to development, tenants, investors, buildings and the com- munities in which it works. Launched in 1971 as Maryland Industrial Enterprises (MIE) by its chairman, Edward St. John , the company started with the construc- tion of a single industrial building. Forty-seven years later, it owns more than 19 million square feet of office, flex/R&D, retail, warehouse, gaming and residential assets val- ued at $2.6 billion. The company serves 2,100 tenants (referred to as clients) at 150 projects located across eight states, including Mary- land, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Its portfolio is expected to grow to more than 20 million square feet by the end of 2019.
receive this award. My employees and I are so proud of the company that we have built and what we have achieved. ” “Stop This Flying Foolishness” St. John was exposed to commercial real estate at an early age. When he was age 16, his father died and left the family with a small manufactur- ing company, a small distribution business and five 10,000-square- foot industrial buildings. Two of the buildings were occupied by the family businesses and three were leased to other tenants. St. John, however, wanted to be a test pilot. Upon graduating from high school at age 17, he was ac- cepted into the second class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colo- rado. After further consideration,
The company initiated a corporate sustainability program in 2009 that has earned it the U.S. Green Building Council LEED certifica- tion on 43 buildings, representing more than 2.3 million square feet of space across the portfolio. Nearly every new building now developed is slated to earn LEED certification, with 29 buildings totaling more than 1.8 million square feet pend- ing certification. In addition to its commitment to the environment, St. John Proper- ties is dedicated to supporting the communities in which it does business. Its chairman established a nonprofit foundation whose phi- lanthropy is exceptional. To date it has gifted more than $60 million. “The Developer of the Year honor is the Holy Grail for us,” states Chair- man St. John. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would
Reprinted with permission from Development magazine, published by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association
FALL | 2018 DEVELOPMENT 65
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