Avison Young Opens Columbia Office

COLUMBIA, SC—You've probably read plenty about Canadian investors into U.S. commercial real estate. Avison Young is poised to serve them as it continues a rapid expansion into American cities. The commercial real estate firm just opened a new office in Columbia, SC.

The new office marks the firm's 30th outside Canada and its second in South Carolina. In fact, over the past four years Avison Young has grown from 11 to 45 offices in 36 markets and from 300 to more than 1,200 commercial real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.

Bruce Neel joins Avison Young has been named principal of Columbia Operations, as well as managing director of the Columbia office. He will oversee the growth and development of the company's presence in Columbia as well as manage the day-to-day office operations. Neel was most recently president of Neel Real Estate, Inc. in Irmo, SC.

“Opening a new office in Columbia, while continuing to grow our Charleston operations, is a strategic move that will allow us to provide a full-service platform in South Carolina,” says Mark Rose, chair and CEO of Avison Young. “We are excited to have Bruce join our rapidly growing U.S. platform. His experience and background will be instrumental to our organization and our South Carolina expansion as we continue to build our business throughout the region and beyond. South Carolina is home to many corporate headquarters and presents a strong regional growth area for our company.”

Why Columbia? Rose hinted at the corporate headquarter factor.

There are more than 70 foreign-affiliated companies and 14 Fortune 500 companies in the region. The corporate headquarters of Fortune 1000 energy company SCANA are located in the Columbia suburb of Cayce. Other major employers include Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army's largest and most active initial-entry training installation, and the United Parcel Service, which operates its Southeastern Regional Hub at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Columbia enjoys a diverse economy, with the major employers including the South Carolina state government, the Palmetto Health hospital system, Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC, Palmetto GBA, and the University of South Carolina. Major manufacturers such as Square D, CMC Steel, Michelin, International Paper, Pirelli Cables, and Bose Corporation have facilities in the Columbia area.

Columbia is the largest city in the state of South Carolina and also the state capital, with an estimated population of 130,591 within the city limits. The city is the center of a metropolitan statistical area of more than 780,000 people, the second largest within the state.

“Avison Young's comprehensive range of real estate services provides a seamless platform to accommodate the needs of our local and national clients,” says Neel. “Moreover, Avison Young's partnership culture aligns the firm's interests with our clients, creating a truly best-in-class service delivery model. The company's unprecedented growth in recent years underscores the fact that the market recognizes the power of this model."