CONTACT: Steven J. Martens of The Martens Companies, 316-262-0000
The Martens Companies Announces May 1 Affiliation with the Grubb & Ellis Company, Forming a Locally Owned Subsidiary Dedicated to Commercial Brokerage Services
WICHITA, Kan., Apr. 11, 2000 -- The Martens Companies (TMC), founded in 1948, and the Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the U.S., today announced they have entered into an affiliation agreement which will become effective May 1, 2000. The new entity will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Wichita-based TMC and called Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group, LLC.
"Our firm has always prided itself on providing the best commercial resources to our clients," said Steven J. Martens, CPM, CCIM, TMC president. " Joining the Grubb & Ellis family will allow us to grow our existing business, and provide our clients with some of the industry's best technology, systems and marketing support."
"The addition of The Martens Companies to our national affiliate program bolsters Grubb & Ellis' presence in the heartland, and adds a significant component to our industrial property group in Kansas," said Steven F. Pope, President of Grubb & Ellis Affiliates.
TMC offers a full line of Commercial/Industrial/Farm real estate services. The company is headquartered in downtown Wichita, with a branch office in Lawrence, and is the only real estate firm in the area offering complete real estate appraisal, property management, consulting and brokerage services.
In calendar 1999, TMC provided brokerage, appraisal, consulting and management support for real estate transactions exceeding $400 million. The two principals in the firm are R.D. Martens, CRE, founder and chairman, and Steven J. Martens, president, quoted in the second paragraph.
The Grubb & Ellis Affiliates program allows the firm to provide comprehensive services to real estate clients by extending its presence into key metropolitan markets where it currently does not have offices. To ensure consistency and a high level of service, prospective Grubb & Ellis affiliates must submit to an exhaustive business quality investigation and meet industry-leading experience and performance standards. With The Martens Companies affiliation in May, Grubb & Ellis will have agreements with more than 31 affiliates serving more than 33 markets.
Grubb & Ellis Company is one of the nation's largest commercial real estate services firms. Through its offices, affiliates and global strategic alliance with Knight Frank, one of the leading property consulting firms in Europe and Asia, the company provides a full range of real estate services, including advisory, management and consultative services, to users and investors worldwide.
With the collective resources of nearly 7,000 people in 200 offices in 27 countries, Grubb & Ellis professionals arrange the sale or lease of such business properties as industrial, retail and office buildings, as well as the acquisition and disposition of multi-family and hospitality properties and commercial land. Major multiple-market clients have a single point of contact through the firm's corporate and institutional units for coordination of all of the firm's services as well as site selection, feasibility studies, market forecasts and research. For more information, visit the company's website at www.grubb-ellis.com.
SOURCE: The Martens Companies, Wichita, KS
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