Grubb & Ellis Management Services: 'Interested, Available, and Helpful'

Lesley Moore and her assistant at Grubb & Ellis Management Services (GEMS) had a sense of deja vu when they moved back into Hacienda in November 2008. As employees of Triple Net Properties Realty for several years, they worked in an office on Stoneridge Drive. Then, in December 2007, Triple Net became a part of Grubb & Ellis Co., moving out of the park into its partner's existing space nearby. That office has since closed, and, as a result, the property management component made its return to Hacienda.

Now, from a suite at 5994 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Moore and her assistant, Nelia Gonzalez, manage just over 750,000 square feet of property in the business park, along with a few other properties elsewhere. The basic duties are to make sure rents are collected and the property is taken care of, but there is much more to the job. "Property managers have a fiduciary duty to the ownership to maintain the space and to have a positive relationship with tenants," Moore says. "We work with a lot of different people, from brokers and asset managers to landscapers and maintenance services." From time to time there's a small emergency to field, and Moore handles that as well. "A few times someone leaned against the alarm box for the fire system and set off a false alarm. Then there was the water line that broke on New Year's Day a few years ago - I was out here for that, arranging for and checking on the repair," she recalls, adding, "Fortunately, these things don't happen very often, but thanks to vendors we can rely on, we are prepared when they do, even if the timing is not ideal."

Although her office does not market the properties it manages, Moore does get involved with occupancy changes and is constantly attuned to leasing activities. She has been pleased to see Waters Corp., and, soon, Microchip Biotechnologies (see article on page 1), move into Britannia Business Center II at 5720 Stoneridge Drive.

Another large building in the complex, at 4280 Hacienda Drive, is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate multiple tenants. "It would be nice to have just one tenant, but there just aren't that many businesses needing 141,000 square feet right now," she confides. With three separate entrances, however, the space is easily divisible. Green features like the solar panels installed on the roof are part of the effort for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which adds to the building's appeal. Grubb & Ellis brokers Larry Easterly, Rick Steffens, and Knute Bucklew are now actively marketing the property.

What other features increase demand for a property? While noting that today's market is generally favorable to tenants, Moore puts being responsive to tenants' needs high on the list. "That's the main objective for my assistant and me. When a tenant comes to us with a request, we get back to them as quickly as possible. The property manager should be interested, available, and helpful."

A division of Santa Ana, California based Grubb & Ellis Co., GEMS oversees a property and facility management portfolio of more than 200 million square feet. In 2007 it was named Microsoft's Vendor of the Year. For more information, visit grubb-ellis.com. The company's local brokers can be reached at (925) 939-3500.

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