Gwen Locher, the new director of property management, came tothe firm from CB Richard Ellis, where she managed the same amountof space. Prior to that, she was with US Bank and Colliers TurleyMartin Tucker. She says the new branch of Lane4 gives the company acompetitive advantage. "The company is growing, it just made senseto have the management in house," she says. "The principals areeither the owners of the properties, or have a relationship withthe owner." The properties are scattered throughout the metro area,and include retail sites on the Kansas side of the border. Theportfolio has centers such as the 217,000-sf Eisenhower Crossing, amixed-use development that includes a medical plaza in Lansing,KS.

The Kansas City, MO market is still going strong, regardless ofthe economy, Locher tells GlobeSt.com. "It's down all across thecountry, but we're not as affected as much here as on the coasts.It's pretty stable here."