Mike Tingus, president of Lee & Associates LA North/VenturaInc., tells GlobeSt.com that, "Our goal was always to get intoVentura," which the company sees as a key market both for growthwithin Ventura County as well as growth coming into Ventura fromnorthern Los Angeles County. Tingus, who directs the new Venturaoffice as well as the firm's Calabasas and Sherman Oaks offices,tells GlobeSt.com that Lee's strategy has been to "create a reallygood regional presence" with the three LA North/Venturaoffices.

Besides Ochoa and Harris, the other brokers at the new Leeoffice include Bill Hagelis, Linda Hagelis, Paul Capra, David Kimand Chris Staton. All were formerly with Colliers except forStaton, a recent university graduate.

Although Lee has wanted to open a Ventura County office for sometime, "It was difficult to open in that market because office spaceis pretty tight, and it was also a matter of finding the rightbrokers," Tingus says. The seven brokers now in the office areworking mainly on office and industrial sales and leasing, butTingus plans eventually to have specialists in sales and leasing ofall property types in the office.