Highly regarded industry veterans Adam Haefner and Brian Colson have joined Avison Young as principals. In their new roles, they are mandated with helping lead and grow the firm’s industrial brokerage practice group in suburban Chicago and across Chicagoland.
Also joining Avison Young in suburban Chicago from Darwin Realty are Zeke Rowan, senior associate, and Martin Mikaitis, associate. They will continue to work as a team with Haefner. They will all be based in the company’s suburban Chicago office in Rosemont, Illinois.
Haefner will lead a team focused on representing landlords in the I-55, I-355 and I-80 submarkets, and Colson will focus on representing landlords in the O’Hare and West Suburban submarkets. The two bring 40 years of combined commercial real estate brokerage experience to Avison Young in Chicago. Most recently, Haefner was a director of brokerage services with Darwin Realty, and Colson was an executive vice-president with NAI Hiffman.
“We are very excited to have Adam and Brian joining our Avison Young family,” said Danny Nikitas, Avison Young principal and managing director of the company’s Chicago region. “Adam and Brian will play instrumental roles in leading and expanding our rapidly growing industrial brokerage practice in suburban Chicago and across the region. Adam is a seasoned veteran of the industry and a steady, well-respected member of the community. He has built an impeccable reputation as a producer—and as a developer of young brokers, as will be illustrated by his team of up-and-comers that will grow our local footprint.”
During his career, Haefner has represented a large array of institutional investors and corporate users, including Prologis, Duke Realty, TA Associates Realty, CIBC, Bridge Development, Venture One Real Estate, Pritzker Realty Group, Deutsche Bank, Becknell Industrial and MWD Logistics. He has negotiated more than 30 million square feet of transactions worth more than $500 million and has consistently been a top producer at his firm of tenure. Throughout his career, he has assisted corporate clients and institutional owners with landlord and tenant representation, build-to-suits, investment sales, site acquisitions, valuations and sale-leasebacks in the greater Chicago area and nationally.
“I’m excited to join Avison Young and help lead and grow the company’s rapidly growing industrial practice group as it expands across Chicagoland,” said Haefner. “Avison Young has the resources necessary to service my team’s existing clients and continue to grow our business in Chicago and beyond. I was also attracted to the opportunity to be part of a Principal-led ownership group within a growing company and to have an impact on the firm’s growth and direction. Most importantly, the culture is one of collaboration and honesty, and I knew very early on that I would be a fit with Avison Young.”
Haefner is active in the industry as a member of the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers (AIRE) and NAIOP. In the community, he supports The Cameron Can Foundation, All in for Ethan and No Kid Hungry. He also coaches Little League baseball and youth basketball. Haefner holds a bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of Illinois and participates in the university’s Real Estate Forum, an alumni group that fosters a community of real estate professionals.
In the last three years, Colson has brokered industrial transactions valued in excess of $250 million. Past and current clients include: CenterPoint, Prologis, DCT, Pritzker Realty Group, Bridge Development Partners and Panattoni Development Corp. Prior to becoming a broker with NAI Hiffman in 1999, he held senior appraiser positions with LaSalle Appraisal Group (1996-1999) and First Real Estate Services (1993-1996).
“Brian’s energy and profile in the market are exceptional. He is one of the stalwarts of the O’Hare industrial sector and has the respect and admiration of his clients and the brokerage community,” Nikitas said. “Brian has earned a wealth of loyalty during more than two decades in real estate, including a tenure as an appraiser. He will be a key presence for us in the O’Hare submarket, which represents 110 million square feet of industrial real estate and ranks as one of the biggest and most important submarkets in Chicagoland.”
Colson is active in the industry as a member of AIRE and is a Commercial Certified Investment Member (CCIM). In 2004, AIRE honored him with the coveted Frank Mahoney Award for Excellence, which is bestowed upon a top-producing member who has been a broker for five years or less. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from St. Mary’s University.
“This is an incredibly exciting time to join this principal-led, client-centric firm, and I’m really pleased to have the chance to contribute to the company’s incredible growth trajectory,” said Colson. “Furthermore, Avison Young is known for its innovative and collaborative approach, and that offers me a fantastic platform from which to conduct business in a competitive market such as Chicago. I’m looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues in Chicagoland and across the company.”
