Picture
Our Mission Leadership The Steering Committee Benefits Membership The Committees Research Coalition/Council Our Publications Forum Education Contacting Us

The Association of Owners and Developers made headlines by appearing recently in a Washington Business Journal article in the Commercial Real Estate Monthly section for June 12-18, 1998.

Washington Business Journal

New Association Targets Owners and Developers
by Heidi Przybyla

Owners and developers, unite.

One of the few networking organizations for developers and owners of diverse income and real estate is rebuilding its union.

Although various associations exist that serve real estate owners, Associated Owners & Developers of McLean, which was founded in 1994, is for every type of real estate owner, from the corner bakery to the corporate giant.

But in 1994, it's future didn't look rosy. "The organization was put on the shelf because ... the timing wasn't right," said Steven R. Beattie, the association's new president and executive director. The real estate market was lagging and the association had fewer than 100 owners.

But then the real estate market rebounded. This created the opportunity for Beattie to come on board in July of 1997. "There was a lot more money being invested. Owners were interested in getting an efficient use of their dollars," said Beattie. "The owner has never really been represented at the table in the construction industry. Many owners are in the business of owning products. They would like to think they can turn to the industry and put it into automatic," said Beattie.

He moved full force to enlist thousands of U.S. developers and owners in the organization he is touting as the first cohesive voice of one of the most important parties in the delivery process - the owner/developer.

Beattie has already attracted some 1,300 owners and developers before the first of the association's annual meetings Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 in Rosslyn. "We're going after large, small, public and private," said Beattie. Eventually he wants to take the organization international.

With the real estate market blossoming, the potential membership base is massive, he said. "There is between $24 to $26 billion invested annually in the D.C. real estate market alone," he said.

New Strategies

The old organization usually focused on past accomplishment and presenting ideas that had worked, said Bob Kress, an association steering committee member who is construction manager at Princeton University. "Under Steve's guidance the new group is focusing on something different," - execution strategies, he said. "The project delivery process has matured a lot, and there are innovative ideas," he said, from litigation avoidance to partnering.

Whether it's a Wal-Mart or a hardware store, tens of thousands of building owners recognize a need for improvement, in areas such as contract documentation, efficient staffing, effective risk allocation for avoiding disputes, selection of financing alternatives, training and credentialing for craftsmen and project managers, said Beattie.

Many owners who aren't in real estate as a primary vocation don't get interested until infrastructure becomes a problem, he said. He wants to change that by boosting the association's membership with owners/developers who are interested in learning about strategies before problems arise.

Beattie's attempt to pull together thousands of members in less than a year comes on the heels of a 28-year naval career in which he served as an officer in the Civil Engineer Corps, delivering construction projects around the globe from Sicily to Vietnam and the Caribbean.

Beattie oversaw the design, construction and delivery of more than 100 different projects during his naval career. From 1993 to 1997 he served as director of the Facilities, Environmental & Safety Program for the U.S. Naval Aviation Systems Command in Washington.

Throughout his career, he said, "I learned the importance of and the need of developer/owners to be represented." When Beattie retired in 1997 from the Navy, he said, he "was looking for more than a job ... I wanted a platform to hopefully improve the quality of design and construction in the community."

Growth

Part of Beattie's marketing plan was to target the numerous area associations with owners and developers as members, and part of the association growth can be attributed to that tactic. "I am blessed with being located in the Washington area, because if companies and/or associations aren't located here, they're represented here," he said.

Beattie blasted out a batch of phone, fax and direct mail messages to area real estate companies. The association also has a large database Beattie drew on for potential member leads. During the first four to five months on the job, Beattie also made numerous personal visits to help muster interest in the association.

But after the first three or four months, he realized he couldn't do it on his own. Beattie began lobbying for the support of big name real estate owners such as Walt Disney World Co., Georgia Pacific and Gannett Co. Inc., all of which supplied AOD with steering committee members. "My real target is the day I can announce we have our first 10,000 members on board," he said. He wants that to happen by the turn of the millennium.

AOD has already signed up a broad mix of members - ranging from the city of Arlington, Texas, and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority to a small spa in Massachusetts.

About AOD

AOD's mandate is "to support the interests of owners and developers, while encouraging participation and cooperation among the individuals and organizations who support design, development and construction of projects," says its brochure.

Membership dues range from $250 for individuals to $1,000 for companies and include the following benefits: a quarterly newsletter, free tickets to the Construction Industry Conference and discounts for AOD International regional seminars and workshops.

Roughly 30 percent of AOD's membership is locally based.

AOD plans to meet once a year, eventually fanning out into regional chapters as membership grows.

The August meeting will be a forum at which members can voice their opinions about the direction the association should take.

Potential topics for future forums include strategic planning, creative financing, market forecasting, global competition and risk avoidance.

Rectangle

Copyright  2018, Associated Owners & Developers - All Rights Reserved
PO Box 4163, McLean, Virginia 22103-4163
Telephone: 703-405-5324
 aod@cbrmag.com -- Associated Owners and Developers