FRIEDMAN EMPLOYEES COME HOME TO DETROIT

Posted on July 28, 2014

Farmington Hills, Michigan (July 28, 2014) – Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions, one of the nation’s leading providers of commercial real estate services, has recently hired several employees who have come home to Detroit to be part of its rebirth.

LeBron James isn’t the only one coming home these days. Ever since the four-time NBA MVP announced his intention earlier this month to return to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers after leaving for a championship-seeking stint in Miami, it seems everybody is talking about the “coming home” phenomenon.

Since last fall, Crain’s Detroit Business has been organizing an invitation-only homecoming event aimed at “expats” – people who were born in Metro Detroit, grew up here, went to school here or worked here – and still think of Detroit as “home.” More than 70 successful former Detroiters have already accepted the invitation to attend the inaugural event scheduled for September.

Friedman employees are no exception to the recent trend of people returning home to their roots. Many recent hires that hailed from Detroit originally, subsequently left the area for professional opportunities around the country. But, they too have been coming home.

Take Andrew Ledger for example. He is Friedman’s New Business Development Manager who moved back to the area in May from Denver where he worked for 12 years. Born and raised in Oakland County, a graduate of Michigan State University and The Eli Broad College of Business in East Lansing, Ledger wanted to return to Detroit to be closer to family and friends and become part of the resurgence of the commercial real estate market in Metro Detroit. “My wife and I felt the timing was right to make the move especially given the situation in Detroit. I knew I could make a contribution with the skills and experience I gained in other positions and help reshape the area I thought of as home,” he explained.

Ryan Cohn, an Associate in Friedman’s Brokerage Division, came back to Detroit in March after spending five years in Los Angeles. “I moved back to Detroit because it’s the new land of opportunity, and it where my roots are,” said Cohn, a Bloomfield Hills native and graduate of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Cohn also noted a palpable difference between his value as a member of the skilled labor force here in Metro Detroit versus L.A. “A major part of Detroit’s economic development is attracting and retaining young workers. There is an emphasis on cultivating talent within local companies that you just don’t see nationwide.”

According to CareerBuilder, Metro Detroit ranks ninth in the country for exceeding post-recession job growth expectations, when compared to the 50 most populous metropolitan areas from 2010 to 2013. Another incentive for individuals to move back is the lower cost of living.

“Am I surprised by the number of people we have hired recently that have come home to the Detroit area? Not at all,” said David Friedman, President and CEO. “It is exciting to be part of the energy and momentum of Detroit’s comeback. Opportunities here are endless. The Detroit area is a great place to live, work and play.”

Friedman is recognized as a driving force behind the revitalization of downtown Detroit’s Central Business District and commercial real estate market. He was instrumental in helping to acquire 60 properties in Detroit’s CBD for Dan Gilbert and his group of companies, amounting to more than 7 million square feet of commercial office and retail space downtown, sparking a major rejuvenation of the City of Detroit. Friedman’s successes reach far beyond Detroit’s city limits, however. Known for his comprehensive industry experience and extensive market knowledge, Friedman has a proven track record of maximizing the performance of assets for optimal returns in submarkets across the Metropolitan Detroit area.

ABOUT FRIEDMAN INTEGRATED REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS

Recognized as one of the largest privately-held commercial real estate organizations in the nation, Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions provides clients with a single point of contact for the full range of services it offers.

Friedman manages over 140 facilities encompassing more than 16M SF of commercial and 8,000 multi-family units across the country. Friedman’s brokerage team has over 800 current listings with $10 billion in closed transactions. As owners and managers of commercial property for over 25 years, Friedman understands what it takes to achieve results that maximize the client’s objectives.

For more information, please visit: www.friedmanrealestate.com.