A rendering of Fox Rothschild LLP’s new office building in Morristown, which was developed by The Hampshire Cos. — Courtesy: Marchetto Higgins Stieve Architects
By Joshua Burd
The Hampshire Cos. has named a new head of development, tapping one of its longtime professionals to spearhead its growing pipeline in New Jersey and nationally.

The real estate investment firm announced Tuesday that it has promoted John Durso to the position. In the new role, he will oversee Hampshire’s development activity in the industrial, residential, office, self-storage and retail sectors.
Durso has held several roles since joining the company in 2003, overseeing its property management, transactional management, asset management and portfolio management services, according to a news release. Hampshire said the roles have provided Durso with a depth of knowledge about the development process that has allowed him to help maximize value across a range of projects.
Recently, he oversaw the construction of Fox Rothschild LLP’s new headquarters at 49 Market St. in Morristown. Durso will now leverage his diverse experience at Hampshire to streamline the firm’s robust national development pipeline and continue to create efficiencies and maximize value in each project the company pursues.
“For 16 years, John has been an instrumental part of our team as his entrepreneurial spirit and deep expertise have allowed him to seamlessly step into a wide range of roles within our firm,” said Deborah Paige Hanson, a principal, executive vice president and fund manager with Hampshire. “John’s passion for real estate and his knowledge surrounding all aspects of the development process will enable him to continue to deliver the results that have consistently made him a standout member of the Hampshire team throughout his career.
“We congratulate John on this much deserved promotion and look forward to his continued strong contributions in our current and future projects.”
Durso is a graduate of James Madison University, where he competed as part of its NCAA Division I wrestling program. He has also competed internationally as a representative of the U.S. National Cycling.