"I have huge shoes to fill, as my father, uncle and grandfatherhave made Kaplan a nationally recognized company," says JasonKaplan. Michael Kaplan, who is Jason Kaplan's father and chairmanof the company, says it was a "natural progression" for his son tobe named president.

"Jason will realign the company in a way that will best competewith the major players in the real estate industry," notes MichaelKaplan. "He will direct Kaplan Cos. to expand throughout greaterNew Jersey, New York and beyond."

The company recently received approval from Bayonne's planningboard to move ahead with a 145-unit residential condominiumproject, Waterford at Bayonne, in the city's Bergen Point section.Construction is slated to start in the middle of next year. Thecommercial properties division of the firm has begun the planningstages for a project to convert a 166,000-sf industrial building atRoute 1 and Black Horse Lane in South Brunswick into an AshleyFurniture HomeStore.