Avison Young opens new office in Cleveland, Ohio
Fast-growing commercial real estate services firm opens 43rd U.S. office;
Christopher Livingston becomes Managing Director
TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today the opening of a newly formed office in Cleveland, Ohio.
The newest American office represents Avison Young's second office in Ohio, 43rd office in the U.S., and an additional step in the firm's ongoing aggressive growth and expansion strategy.
Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to, now, 60 offices in 49 markets and from 300 to more than 1,600 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S., and in Europe.
Effective immediately, Christopher Livingston becomes a Principal of Avison Young and Managing Director of the Cleveland office. With more than 20 years of real estate experience, he most recently served with Infinity Construction Company as Manager of Business Development and Marketing.
Livingston will be responsible for helping build the Avison Young brand in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio in all facets of the service sector, with initial priority on building the brokerage services platform. He will also service Avison Young's new and existing clients and manage the day-to-day operations of the Cleveland office.
"The new Cleveland office gives Avison Young another strategic presence in the U.S. Midwest region and more links to other major markets," comments Rose. "Cleveland's proximity to our Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington, DC-area offices will provide great opportunities to serve clients on a local, national and international scale. In addition to opportunities in the office and industrial sector, Cleveland will also enable us to help our clients grow their retail and multi-residential real estate assets."
Rose continues: "We're delighted to have Chris Livingston, a proven commercial real estate industry leader, lead our team-building and business-development efforts in Cleveland. He will enable us to provide clients with the highest level of service from the get-go."
Effective immediately, Avison Young's new Cleveland office is located at 600 Superior Avenue East, Suite 910, Cleveland, OH.
"The addition of Cleveland a short time after the opening of our new Columbus office adds to the steady momentum that Avison Young has been building in the Midwest and across the U.S. during the past few years. The strategic appointment of Chris Livingston, and more key hires under his direction, will give us further growth opportunities in the Midwest and other U.S., Canadian and overseas markets over the near and long terms," notes Earl Webb, Avison Young's President, U.S. Operations.
"We're fortunate to have Chris at the helm in Cleveland. During his career, he has built, and served, an impressive roster of clients in the development sector and all asset classes. He also possesses outstanding leadership and relationship-building skills, along with extensive industry experience and market knowledge – qualities that are critical to Avison Young's client-centric approach," adds Webb.
Avison Young opened its first Ohio office in Columbus on January 15, 2014, with Scott Pickett joining as a Principal and Managing Director of the Columbus office. In his new role, Livingston will be working closely with Pickett and Jim Becker, Managing Director of Avison Young's Detroit office, to build and grow the firm's business in major Ohio markets.
"Avison Young is very excited about Chris Livingston taking on the responsibility to lead the Cleveland team," notes Becker. "His broad experience and connectivity in the marketplace will serve Avison Young well in its recruitment of top-level talent, winning new business and serving existing Avison Young clientele."
As the financial and manufacturing seat of Ohio, Cleveland is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie in Cuyahoga County. Downtown Cleveland is experiencing a residential real estate renaissance and has had strong community investment from its prominent healthcare and post-secondary educational institutions. The broader metropolitan service area (MSA), which includes Akron, Canton, Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown and Warren, ranks as the 14th-largest MSA (approximately 4 million people) in the U.S. The Cleveland MSA is home to more than 20 Fortune 1000 company headquarters and 800 foreign-owned companies, including 75 Canadian companies that have operations in the Cleveland area.
"I am thrilled to be joining Avison Young as it continues to expand aggressively in the Midwest and other U.S. regions. I'm also honored to be launching Avison Young's presence in Cleveland and to share in the company's unique Principal-led, collaborative culture and ownership structure," says Livingston. "This is a great town. And this is a great opportunity to build a team of professionals to serve our strong corporate base. I am highly energized with this move."
Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young acquiring New Jersey-based asset management firm Kwartler Associates on September 18, 2014, and Avison Young opening a new office in Oakland, CA on August 11, 2014.
Biography
Christopher Livingston
Christopher Livingston has established himself as a commercial real estate industry leader with extensive experience in sales, leasing and property management during a career that has spanned two decades. Livingston joins Avison Young from Ohio-based Infinity Construction, where he served as Manager of Business Development and Marketing for the past three years. Prior to joining Infinity Construction, Livingston was Executive Vice-President, tenant advisory, for Jones Lang LaSalle. From 1998 to 2002, he served as President of Snyder Beverage Group. In the nine years before then, Livingston provided tenant advisory, owner advisory and preleasing services in his role as a Vice-President with LaSalle Partners. He spent the first two years of his commercial real estate career as a broker with Grubb & Ellis.
Past clients include: Key Bank, Squire Sanders & Dempsey, Frost Brown & Todd, Akzo Nobel, Riverside Companies, Office Max and Cleveland Clinic. Livingston holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,600 real estate professionals in 60 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.
For further information/comment/photos:
- Sherry Quan, Principal, National Director of Communications & Media Relations,
Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959 - Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028
- Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610
- Jim Becker, Principal and Managing Director, Detroit, Avison Young: 313.510.2825
- Christopher Livingston, Principal and Managing Director, Cleveland, Avison Young: 216.609.0303
Avison Young's Cleveland office is located at 600 Superior Avenue East, Suite 910, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, 216.609.0303
Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and 2012 and requalified in 2013 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.
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- Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Christopher Livingstone http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/CHRIS_LIVINGSTON.jpg
SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)
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