Joe Sullivan got his start in commercial real estate as part of the “DOT COM” bust back in 2001. Sullivan started with Peak Construction that year as the director of marketing, and since then has never looked back.
“I like many aspects of the sales process including developing long term relationships and helping to show clients how we can make their lives easier,” Sullivan said, director of new business at Peak Construction. “The most rewarding part is finding out at the end of a job how much the clients appreciate the value Peak brings to the project.”
According to Sullivan, Peak tries to bring value to their clients every day. “If we think ahead and are proactive during the construction cycle, it ultimately gives our clients more flexibility which results in an increased bottom line at the end of a project.”
Peak is currently developing a build-to-suit for Sunstar in Schaumburg. “We are also developing a 750K square foot spec building for Clarion Partners in Shorewood, a 450K square foot spec building for IDI Gazeley in Antioch, and we are building a 114-room Hyatt House in Evanston.”
A trend that Sullivan is seeing in the industry as of late? “Many companies, and people, who have been sitting on the sidelines are now starting to select sites, put money back into their companies and move forward with growing their businesses.”
Over the last year speed to market is restricting a few large clients due to not enough available Class A product, a challenge that Sullivan faces in the market. “With the amount of new speculative buildings completed in 2014 and expected this year that should not be as much of an obstacle for most companies in 2015.”
So how does Sullivan find the balance between work and the things that keep him sane? Besides having a good laugh at any Chevy Chase movie, he enjoys outdoor activities! “I really enjoy just about any outdoor activity,” he said. “Everything from hunting, fishing, skiing, snowboarding to camping. Getting out of the day to day dealings helps me stay sane.”
It makes perfect sense then that if Sullivan wasn’t working in real estate, he’d be relaxing around a campfire somewhere outside with good friends!
One thing he’d like to do, that he hasn’t, in his lifetime? “A trip to Ireland and Alaska are on the radar.”
