MIAMI—As the nation becomes increasingly diverse,working effectively with immigrant business owners becomes moreimportant. Success, Jimmy Cushman, a propertymanager for Halpern Enterprises tells GlobeSt.com,comes from mutual respect, clear communication, and a focus onhelping tenants succeed.

With a strong presence in diverse marketsthroughout Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, Atlanta-basedHalpern Enterprises understands just how important it is to haveopen communication with these types of tenants. And when languagebecomes a barrier, personal visits, body language and understandingthe importance of an ongoing relationship become paramount.

As an example of the increased diversity ofretail tenants, stores owned by immigrants in oneof Halpern's Atlanta centers range from a grocery owned by a manwho moved to the US from Columbia, to a clothing shop owned by acouple from Mexico, to a live shrimp store owned by a family fromVietnam, to a handbag store owned by a family from Korea.