Page 24 - RENJ Sept.21

22 SEPTEMBER 2021
In a time when industrial builders can’t deliver new space fast enough, those with in-house
design and construction teams are finding ways to speed up the development process.
The Rockefeller Group has honed that strategy in recent years with
a series of key hires in the region. In the process, executives say the moves have also provided a leg up in the increasingly competitive and increasingly complex search for new sites.
“The type of person that we’ve hired is paramount,” said Mark Shearer,
several experts in engineering, project management, underwriting and other disciplines.
Michael Leondi, the company’s vice president
of design and
construction in
concerns. With a civil engineer on staff, a developer can “get most of those big questions answered” in a matter of days rather than weeks.
That translates to expedited due diligence and fewer qualifications as the company prepares to negotiate on the property and, ultimately, faster delivery.
“We can go into it from a much more informed position,” said Leondi, who is based in Rockefeller’s Morristown office. “And I think
INNER STRENGTH
Rockefeller says growth of in-house design, construction team has boosted project speed
By Joshua Burd
Mark Shearer
a senior vice president
and regional development officer for Rockefeller Group’s New Jersey and Pennsylvania region. To that
the region, cited common issues with industrial parcels such as geotechnical and environmental
end, the firm has bolstered its team in the last three to four years with
Michael Leondi
Executives with Rockefeller Group say the addition of in-house design and construction professionals has helped shave three to four months from its development process. Pictured here is the firm’s recently completed, 400,000-square-foot distribution center at 65 Baekeland Ave. in Middlesex Borough.
Courtesy: Rockefeller Group