Jeffrey Bennett
Managing Partner
McColly Bennett Commercial
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Jeffrey Bennett has spent four decades shaping communities and guiding real estate development across Northwest Indiana and Chicago’s Southland.
As managing partner of Bourbonnais, Illinois-based McColly Bennett Commercial, Bennett has played a central role in positioning the firm as a trusted advisor in community and commercial real estate development throughout Kankakee County and beyond.
As an owner, developer and broker, Bennett has acquired, developed and sold commercial buildings, industrial parks and manufactured home communities, while regularly participating in more than $100 million in real estate transactions annually.
“I’ve most enjoyed the always changing, unique situations that require problem-solving to get a deal done on behalf of clients,” Bennett said. “When you meet those challenging times and solve those issues, you become a trusted advisor to your clients, a moment you both can enjoy.”
Bennett’s leadership extends well beyond his home market. He has been an active participant in the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Commercial Initiative, attending global symposiums in Athens, Greece (2019); Dubai (2021); Lisbon, Portugal (2022); Budapest, Hungary (2024); and Prague, Czech Republic (2025).
These experiences have informed his perspective on global capital flows, industrial development trends and the increasing interconnectedness of regional markets. In 2024, Bennett further strengthened international ties when he joined a Kankakee County delegation touring Gotion’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities, gaining firsthand insight into advanced manufacturing and supply-chain investment.
Like other successful CRE veterans, Bennett has faced challenges. One of the biggest? The Great Financial Crisis in 2008.
As Bennett says, this was a time when sourcing deals and generating enough income to meet expenses proved to be a real challenge. As a way to grow revenue opportunities, Bennett teamed up with Ron McColly of McColly Real Estate to form the current McColly Bennett Commercial.
This new firm expanded Bennett’s and McColly’s target market from the I-57 corridor in Illinois to Northwest Indiana, a market that offered the potential for significant growth.
“In hindsight, that market expansion proved to be very smart as transaction activity in Northwest Indiana is approximately 50% of our business,” Bennett said. “Equally important, we’ve developed expertise in these markets that allows us to source our own client relationships and be a strong referral partner for those not familiar with the area.”
Before founding Bennett Commercial LLC, Bennett worked at Tony Perry & Associates, where he led the Community Development Division. In that role, he successfully wrote Enterprise Zone applications for the Kankakee River Valley, Manteno/Illinois Diversatech and the Calumet Region, and participated in the creation of 11 Tax Increment Financing districts along the I-57 Corridor.
His work also included securing critical project financing, procuring $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and $1.4 million from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.
When not working, Bennett enjoys cheering on his favorite sports teams.
“I believe sports is the greatest theater out there,” he said.
Bennett said that he is proud of his 20-year career as a basketball coach, including the years he spent leading his daughters’ teams. He is also blessed with a loving family that includes five daughters and 15 grandchildren.
“That’s my world,” Bennett says.
