Avison Young’s leaders in the tristate region. From left: Jeff Heller of the New Jersey office, Mitti Liebersohn and Arthur Mirante of the New York office; Sean Cahill of the Fairfield County/Westchester office and Ted Stratigos from the Long Island office. — Courtesy: Avison Young
By Joshua Burd
Avison Young is marking the fifth anniversary of its operations in the region by launching a new charitable initiative.
Known as the Avison Young Five for Five program, the initiative calls for each employee in the tristate area to dedicate five hours of volunteer community service to charitable organizations over a five-month period. That includes the firm’s New Jersey offices in Morristown and Woodbridge.
Arthur Mirante, Avison Young principal and tristate president, said the program is a celebration of its success after deciding five years ago to bring its “collaborative, principal-led and client-focused culture of excellence” to the region’s commercial real estate sector.
“We are happy to report that our business model has proven to be a success, and our growth in this market — in such a rapid period of time — was even more than we expected,” Mirante said in a prepared statement. “In the early days, we shared our culture with prospective clients and relationships and asked for the opportunity to perform and demonstrate our commitment to provide superior service.
“Thankfully, the market responded positively and we have much to celebrate as our Tri-State regional operations turns five years old. We think the perfect way to commemorate all that we have accomplished is by giving back to the communities that we serve.”
Avison Young launched its tristate operations in April 2012, when it opened a New York City office and hired Mirante, the former Cushman & Wakefield CEO, to spearhead its growth. The Toronto-based firm opened in New Jersey five months later and hired Jeffrey Heller, a 30-year-industry veteran, to serve as its principal and managing director in the state.
The New Jersey office has been a focal point of Avison Young’s growth since then. The company in 2012 acquired the Walsh Co., a well-known project management and construction management firm with 53 employees and coverage throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
Two years later, it acquired the asset management firm Kwartler Associates. In March 2017, the firm added a team of seven from the brokerage formerly known as Cresa NJ-North/Central LLC and subsequently opened a second New Jersey office in the Metropark section of Woodbridge.
Avison Young’s growth in New Jersey has equated to the recruitment of more than 110 professionals and the sale or lease of more than 17.8 million square feet over five years. The firm touted that growth in a news release last week, along with its expansion into the Long Island Fairfield/Westchester markets and key additions in New York City.
“What we have achieved is unprecedented in this market and a testament to both the hard work of our entire team and the trust that our valued clients have put in us,” Mirante said. “We are showing no signs of slowing down and remain excited about what we can accomplish in the next five years as we continue to grow our footprint throughout this market and expand our service lines.”
