I started my career at Deloitte & Touche in Audit focusing on real estate clients. After a year and half I moved into the M&A group at Deloitte for a few years, focusing on transaction advisory across a multitude of industries (SaaS, real estate, aviation, manufacturing, retail, industrial). I wanted to move further into CRE and left Deloitte to spend a year and a half at Tasty Restaurant Group ("TRG") working in acquisitions. TRG is a private-equity sponsored owner / operator of 5 QSR brands across the country. At TRG, we deployed $130m in capital and acquired 123 new restaurant locations in the year and a half I was part of the group.
What am I doing – describe your current role and objectives:
Currently, I lead acquisitions at RecNation RV & Boat Storage - the largest owner / operator of RV & Boat Storage sites in the U.S. We are a start up that really started in earnest in 2022 and we now have 67 locations across 8 states with a 5 year goal of 350 facilities. I absolutely love my job and the people I work with and am so lucky to enjoy coming to work every day, truly really lucky to have stumbled into this company and role.
I lead all aspects of inorganic growth at the Company including leading a team of 10 people who are instrumental to the success of our portfolio growth objectives. I lead all deal sourcing, pipeline management, negotiations, underwriting, due diligence, financing, closings and integrations. I am tasked with all negotiations with Sellers, coordinate legal diligence with outside counsel, real estate plan review (site acquisition / survey / environment / zoning) with all parties and funding with our debt and equity partners.
At the same time, I also provide strategic leadership on corporate growth initiatives, investment opportunities, market trends, execution of entrance into new verticals, opportunistic organic sales strategies, capital formation, and development of our 3rd party management business.
In a little over a year and a half we've deployed $133m in capital growing the portfolio by 23 locations (53% increase) and 3.1m rentable SFT (67% increase) made successful in part by the internal sales team I developed to continually generate pipeline.
Our Company's objectives are to be a multi-billion dollar business, the Public Storage of RV & Boat Storage, and to own 350 facilities in the next 5 years. Additionally, my personal objectives are to achieve all corporate objectives but also provide opportunities of career acceleration to everyone on my team and get them engaged in all facets of the M&A lifecycle, not just underwriting. My career thus far has included some roles where I wished I had more opportunity to 'play up' at times - something I am cognizant of with my team in ensuring they have the opportunity to do so.
Connections trying to make:
I'm looking to make connections with a variety of SMU Alumni, not just in the CRE world which is my primary networking opportunity through the Folsom Institute and my current profession. I think there is a wealth of knowledge and insight that can come from people in a variety of backgrounds.
