Troy Peple, president of ChainLinks Retail Advisors Inc., hopesto seal the deals in the near future in a sweeping strategy tocomplete the company's transition from a non-profit associationinto a for-profit operation by the end of second quarter 2001. InSeptember, ChainLinks will finalize a partnership withMyShopping.com, the first deal that's not a traditional bricks-and-mortar retailer. In recent weeks, ChainLinks has signed AnchorAssociates in Cincinnati, Corporate Realty in New Orleans, PaceProperties Inc. in St. Louis and Ripco Real Estate in Conshohocken,PA.

By the end of this year, ChainLinks will have 400 brokers onboard - 100 more than the present roster - Peple told Globe.St.comduring a break in his one-day visit to Dallas, where he wasinterviewing management applicants and plotting strategies with theGallier and Wittenberg public relations agency. Peple was broughton board last year to build - not expand - ChainLinks into anational real estate company from its 20-year non-profitassociation status. Brokers are buying into ChainLinks and securingstock in the operation in exchange for the for-profit networkingpotential.

ChainLinks, based in Washington DC, has gotten its mostsignificant boost from a recently announced joint venture with DJMRealty Services, a division of Gordon Brothers Group thatspecializes in retail real estate disposition and mitigation oflease exposure and retail real estate consulting. DJM, based inMelville, NY, brings to the table an unlimited funding pool forlease and property buyouts for ChainLinks' real estate clients,says Peple, a veteran hostile negotiator and workoutconsultant.