"Over my career, I've been fortunate to work with and partner with many of the best and most successful individuals in the business," says Peek, a former executive with Highwoods Properties Inc. of Raleigh, NC and New York-based Citicorp. "Pinnacle's opportunity is to work with this select group in a variety of combinations to source and execute intelligent, profitable real estate ventures."

Peek says he has participated in developments and financing deals valued at more than $650 million in his 25-year real estate career. Peek will be managing partner of the newly formed company. He says his former boss, Edward DeBartolo, chairman, DeBartolo Property Group, understands his departure was made to fulfill his "entrepreneurial spirit."

Pinnacle partners include Jim Heistand, chairman and CEO of Orlando-based Capital Partners; Joe Williams, president of Kimmins Contracting; Bill Peek, CEO and president of Industrial Brake and Friction Products; Carlos Alfonso, CEO and managing partner of Alliant Partners; his brother, Albert Alfonso, president and principal in charge of design of Alfonso Architects; Casey Cummings, president, Ram Development Co.; Larry Heard, chairman, Platinum Bank and former executive vice president of First Florida Bank; and Sandra Bonham, Peek's development assistant for the last 10 years at DeBartolo and Highwoods Properties.

Heistand closed on a $143-million deal earlier this month, acquiring 29 office and industrial buildings totaling 1.86 million sf from Highwoods Properties, as GlobeSt.com previously reported. The acquired assets are in Tampa, Atlanta and Columbia, SC.

Of his partners, Peek says, "I can't think of a real estate company in Florida with a more compelling combination of expertise, relationships and financial clout." He calls his group "a consortium of several of the Who's Who among the leaders of the Florida real estate industry."