Avison Young Acquires Dallas-Based Tenant Rep Firm

DALLAS-Avison Young, said Tuesday that it has acquired Dallas-based commercial real estate firm Dillon Corporate Services, Inc. (doing business as Cresa Dallas) in an asset sale. The purchase further expands Avison Young's business-line coverage in Texas. The change in ownership adds 40 employees to Avison Young's Dallas operations.

Effective immediately, Dillon Corporate Services founders Greg Langston and Terry Quinn, along with Mike McElwee, Art Green, Curt Linn, Kevin Smith, Buddy Turner, Brian Whittington, David Cooke, Bret Hefton and Jim Louis, become principals of Avison Young.

Langston also becomes managing director of the Dallas office and will be responsible for growing a full-service commercial real estate platform in Dallas through recruitment and acquisition. He will also manage the day-to-day operations of the office and service new and existing clients. McElwee will be responsible for the management and oversight of enterprise solutions clients, and Louis will head project management in Dallas.

“The acquisition of Dillon Corporate Services gives Avison Young a significant presence in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, which is a core region for our company's long-term growth as a global service provider,” said Mark Rose, Avison Young's chair and CEO. “Dillon is considered one of the top commercial real estate brokerage firms in Dallas/Fort Worth, and the company's strong skill set in providing corporate clients with transaction and advisory services on a local and multi-market basis gels nicely with Avison Young's solutions-oriented approach to solving clients' real estate problems. We couldn't be more pleased to have Greg Langston, Terry Quinn and their team on board.”

Rose continued: “Dillon and Avison Young are a perfect fit culturally, which was apparent from our very first discussions. Greg, Terry and their team fully embrace Avison Young's culture of being a Principal-owned and managed company. It speaks volumes that 11 professionals from Dillon are joining Avison Young as Principals.”

Founded in 1993, Dillon Corporate Services, a locally-owned company that exclusively represents tenants, has been the affiliate of Cresa serving the Dallas/Fort Worth market for the past 12 years. Dillon Corporate Services has represented clients with requirements and portfolios ranging from 5,000 square feet locally to 12 million square feet globally.

“We are thrilled to have the Dillon group join Avison Young as we continue to build our business in the Texas region. Avison Young has a great office in Houston, and with the addition of Greg, Terry and the entire Dillon team in Dallas/Fort Worth, we are now well established in Texas,” said Earl Webb, Avison Young's President, U.S. Operations. “Going forward, we will continue to add people in both offices to bolster our service lines, and look to expand into other Texas markets in the near future.”

Also joining from Dillon Corporate Services are: Susan Blair, Senior Vice-President; Patrick Denney, Senior Vice-President; Mike McCoy, Senior Vice-President; Judge McStay, Senior Vice-President; Matt Middendorf, Senior Vice-President; Eddie Tillman, Senior Vice-President; Michael England, Vice-President; Kara Good, Vice-President; Parker Handlin, Vice-President; Tamia Kramer, Vice-President; Pat McCaffrey, Vice-President; Nancy McGrath, Vice-President; Kim Phillips-White, Vice-President; Michael Swanson, Vice-President; Scott Jones, Operations Manager; Andy Schenck, Senior Associate; Dyann Skelton, Senior Associate; Joe Agnew, Associate; James Engels, Associate; Michael Morse, Associate; Amanda Steiner, Property Manager; Stephanie Wiechmann, Project Manager; Matt Gamble, Lease Administrator; Olivia Kramer, Lease Administrator; Nancy Connelly, Client Services Coordinator; Kathryn Young, Client Services Coordinator; Misty Davis, Research Analyst; Teri Rath, Administrative Coordinator; and Suzann Holcomb, Accounting Clerk.

Avison Young opened its first Texas office in Houston in June 2010 with Rand Stephens joining as principal and managing director. The company opened its Dallas office in July 2011.

Over the past four-and-a-half years, Toronto-based Avison Young has grown from 11 to 53 offices and from 300 to more than 1,300 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.

“There is tremendous synergy between our company's cultures, and it was obvious to all of us from our first meeting that we were a great fit,” says Langston. “In addition, Terry, Mike and I believed that being part of a full-service global firm was in the long-term best interest of our clients and our employees. We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues across North America and providing our clients with unmatched capabilities.”

“Avison Young's transparent and client-centric culture is in complete alignment with our clients' and our team's culture,” adds Quinn. “Our clients' input was a key driver in our decision to become part of the Avison Young family, as our clients have consistently been asking us to deliver the full range of services that Avison Young offers.”

The Dallas announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young opening offices on Long Island, NY and in Tampa FL, Greenville SC, and Philadelphia in the past six weeks.