M & C Association Management Gets Closer to Customers with Hacienda Location

Park's Easy Access to Transportation Proves a Key Benefit to Real Estate Firm

The mission of M & C Association Management Services is making sure its clients' properties withstand the test of time. Whether residential or commercial condominiums, master-planned subdivisions or townhome communities, common interest developments have become increasingly popular as municipalities transfer the responsibility for infrastructure to the private sector. Association managers perform the critical functions of preserving and increasing collective property values by overseeing the myriad issues that keep neighborhoods at their best.

M & C has an interesting lineage. Originally founded in 1990 in Stockton, it was purchased by a Dallas company with national reach, Associa, in 2005. Around the same time Associa also acquired four other northern California management firms, one of which was co-owned by M & C Vice President Grant Shetron and his father.

The elder Shetron was ready to retire, but his son did not want to run the business by himself. Associa offered him the opportunity to stay on after his father's exit. "Associa does a wonderful job of identifying companies to purchase and rolling them into a larger organization," Shetron notes. "Working with them provides access to funding, business strategies, best practices, and innovative ideas, but we maintain our own local presence, so it's a good melding."

Shetron has spent the last three years consolidating four entities into one organization with standardized processes under the M & C nameplate. The other offices are in Stockton, Modesto, and Copperopolis.

The Pleasanton site is the result of another consolidation. This one moved employees formerly based in Fremont and Santa Clara to a new Hacienda office last June. It has proven to be a good choice for the staff of 14, composed of managers, support staff, and maintenance personnel.

Shetron says that because of freeway access, employee commutes have taken less time than expected. "And with the 580/680 interchange, we can get to any of our customers fairly quickly no matter where they are located. That's a huge bonus for us."

Hacienda's physical beauty is another attraction. "We have definitely upgraded our presence, and our employees and clients have responded very positively," he remarks.

The move was part of the firm's strategic plan to navigate through a challenging economic climate. "We had a good year as a company, but it was tough, and we did our share of belt-tightening," Shetron admits. "This is not the economy we would all like, but niches can still remain very viable."

In some ways, he continues, the company foresaw the downturn, and is now well positioned to respond quickly when things take off again. "I see good things for our company in the future."

Local clients include Valencia, in Hacienda; Diablo Grande, Patterson; Vista Point, San Ramon; Lone Tree, Antioch; and the Summerset II retirement community, Brentwood.

Shetron stresses the importance of being close to the communities. "Part of the genius is having a large company stand behind us while we maintain the local presence. The backing allows us to do things that purely local operations can't," he concludes. For more information, visit www.mccommunities.com.

Photo: Grant Shetron brought his firm to Hacienda in June, consolidating Fremont and Santa Clara offices.

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