Statewide Marketing Session for August 2017
Submitted by Louise Norwood
The August Statewide Marketing Session was held on Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at the Keller Williams Training Room at 168 South River Road in Bedford. This month’s breakfast sponsor was Ray Sirois of Service Master Disaster Associates which deals in the remediation of fire, water, mold and smoke disasters. They have been operational for some twenty-five years with great coverage in the towns of Nashua and Rochester, New Hampshire while their sphere of influence is also in the Wilmington and Stoneham, Massachusetts areas. A great spread of breakfast goods was laid out by Tidewater thanks to Ray and his associates. We are very grateful for your support and sponsorship.
Keith Turgeon of Namtek and his daughter Gabrielle Turgeon were guests of Louise Norwood. Keith deals in cyber security which provides expert security services and purpose-built hardware and software solutions. Namtek solves complex information security challenges for some of the most critical assets in the nation. And just as importantly, Namtek is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small business founded in 2006 and headquartered in Bedford. Keith wished to let the attendees know that their offices at 124 Bedford Center Road is both for sale and/or lease and as it is fairly new construction it has all of the bells and whistles all to code. Please keep Namtek on your list if seeking high performing and high security risk software.
Gabrielle Turgeon just recently graduated college and is most interested in becoming involved with an interior decorating firm and/or space planning firm at an entry level capacity. Gabrielle is also very adept in the world of social media being extremely knowledgeable with the use of Facebook and/or U-Tube for your business needs. Should anyone have an organization, client or individual seeking some of these skills, Gabrielle would be happy to supply her resume. She is actively seeking a position in any of the above disciplines and as she has great organizational skills along with a good work ethic, she would make a fine employee.
Andre Tremblay of Franklin Savings Bank situated here in Bedford specializes in commercial loan opportunities offering a simple banking product with not a lot of barriers such as your typical loan covenants. Andre went on to say that he has worked closely with both Fulcrum and North Branch Construction and is always pleased with their professionalism and expertise. In addition, Andre works closely with investors one of which is most interested in larger apartment complexes at the 50 unit strike point. He can most likely get the attention of a client buyer faster than a broker so submit your offerings to him. Lastly, Andre solicited the attendees that should they have a penchant for writing that either broker or affiliate members be urged to write a summary article on their particular business expertise.
Jim Wisniewski of Interiors East operates an architectural firm in the southern New Hampshire realm as well as the Boston/Cambridge area. Formerly he was an electrical engineer some twenty years ago. His expertise in design and construction has been formulated in projects with Fidelity, John Hancock, Google, Kayak to name just a sampling. He is proficient in three D renderings for your client and hopes to be every broker and banker’s resource. He enjoys working with property management companies and is currently working with several franchises one of which is a fitness club in need of spreading their wings further afield. Though Jim focuses on architectural/space planning he can do the gamut of adding value in test pits and ADA compliant code issues.
Tony Milne of Image 4 handles rebranding banks, hospitals and schools and any new buildings. Tony has the capability of formatting business cards; vehicle wraps with installation of same as well as stylizing signs for corporate branding.
Kimberly Matson of R.H. Thackston & Company hails from Bellows Falls, Vermont spending much of her time in the southwestern portion of the state and in Vermont particularly on the Route 12 commercial corridor. Kim also has a fantastic commercial lot on the corner of Route 12 and 12a in Charlestown, New Hampshire. This 9.4 acres of land has much visibility with the zoning allowing for single family, multifamily and a host of other uses. Priced aggressively below the assessed value. Kim is licensed to practice brokerage in three states and knows her way around all of the border towns. Lastly, she wished to advise the attendees of a great listing on Main Street in Troy, New Hampshire comprised of 7,000 s.f. which is currently set up as a convenience center with a host of amenities. Financials are available.
Ben Brown of Fulcrum Associates headquartered in Amherst deals in anything from a complete renovation to ground up construction with added value engineering skill sets. Fulcrum can provide full site assessments and provide for excellent budgetary ideas especially when involved in the early stages of construction planning. Ben announced that they are actively involved with the YWCA associated with Nashua’s Southern New Hampshire University. Ben also announced that Fulcrum will be hosting a golf tournament on October 3rd for the betterment of the New Hampshire Food Bank.
Matt Bacon of NAI Norwood Group is seeking approximately 35 acres for an age restricted development for at least (40) single family homes in southern New Hampshire. His investor has a flexible budget and wishes to be in an area that is not too rural in nature. Matt also pitched a listing he has at 407 North Stark Highway in Weare consisting of three buildings on five acres of land. This Alpha self-storage complex has 74 storage units plus additional outside storage spaces on 5.12 acres of land. This well positioned asset is on the market with a price tag $435,000. There is an opportunity to add another sixty units if warranted. Additionally, Matt has a retail piece of land in Concord with good traffic flow which would partner nicely with the XtraMart and Dunkin’ Donuts on site. Matt went on to say that he and Jay Lee have eight acres in Candia suitable for residential housing.
Dwight Feeney of Enterprise Bank explained that the bank is mainly focused in the Rockingham and Hillsborough County area and with seven offices offer C & I lending up t $45,000,000 but has the ability to lend up to $3,000,000 with no committee approval. Enterprise can also lend on owner occupied properties SBA 504 financing for a twenty year fixed rate.
Bill Collins of Enterprise Bank accompanied Dwight Feeney. He is also in the commercial lending arm of Enterprise Bank. We look forward to seeing both Dwight and Bill again at future meetings.
Beth Chea of Wells Fargo SBA Lending only handles SBA and to that end can finance lease hold improvements at a fixed rate. She went on to say that she can assist in clarifying any questions you or your client may have insofar as SBA financing. Due to an increase in debentures, the rates can now be fixed for twenty-five years. Beth is a long time member of CIBOR and has done much to promote the organization. Thank you, Beth.
Don Marshall of Marshall Associates is in the practice of business brokerage. Having just closed a deal in Portsmouth for a school of ballet, he has moved on to another assignment of marketing a pottery studio business which currently has two artists who operate in the greater Concord area though the business could be operated in any location. With a gross income of $322,000, the income for a business owner is in the $90,000 range. Lastly, Don pitched another listing he is marketing in greater Manchester consisting of one acre of land with an auto body repair shop having six bays grossing $900,000 and an owner’s discretionary income of $185,000.
Tim Wege of New Star Properties deals in property management both commercially and in residential condominium complexes. Tim expressed his thought that the business is about people and if the vendors are well cared for both financially and respectfully that one can garner good business practices with a broad range of individuals. Lastly, Tim would like to be considered for properties either needing a change in property management or new projects coming on line.
Scott Kingsley of Primary Bank stated that though the bank has only been operational for the last two years, they have underwritten $100,000,000 worth of loans. They also have the capability in any loan scenario to seek participation with other lending institutions. Very impressive for such a short term since the bank opened its doors.
Ray Sirois of Service Master Disaster Associates graciously provided us with a great breakfast from Tidewater Catering. Service Master has been in the business of being the leaders in restoration for some twenty-five years. They handle a multitude of issues from fire and smoke recovery; water recovery and mold remediation. Ray had some great handouts with comprehensive information for the group. Ray would be most appreciative of any referrals you could provide their team of experts.
Lisa Guerin of Service Master Disaster Associates dovetailed additional information on their long laundry list of services such as emergency pre-cleaning, content cleaning, content packing, wall and ceiling cleaning and deodorization. She went on to say that even though the overall company is a franchise, they are privately owned.
James Coldwell of Service Master Disaster Associates further described other services they can handle such as hoarding situations and have a full menu of cleaning services whether it be for a tenant change over; HVAC duct cleaning; pressure washing; sewage backups and oil spills. No job is too big or too small.
Dave Gambaccini of KW Commercial announced that a fund raising tournament will be held at Candia Woods on September 28th. Please contact Dave for more detailed information. Dave is marketing several office/flex condominiums at 27 Harvey Road in Bedford – three combined condos comprised of 4,500 s.f. having three overhead doors with 16’ ceiling clearance which then abuts to 1,500 s.f. of flex/showroom/display area with vinyl floor and another adjacent 1,500 s.f. of office space. The larger three unit space was most recently occupied by Amazon. All of the spaces are offered at $10.50 psf.
Steve Mangekian of Alpha Inspections has no less than five certified team members who primarily operate in the greater Boston area as well as New Hampshire. They can simultaneously work on any large commercial building inspection and communicate between each other with specialized software. Other avenues of inspection expertise are Phase I and bank draw downs. They recently completed a full inspection of a 34 unit multifamily complex for Scott Kingsley of Primary Bank. Steve prides his staff on submitting very succinct reports that are easy to read with all significant, necessary information. Alpha Inspections continues to lead the pack!
Diane Lewis of TD Bank specializes in interfacing with business owners and in particular a variety of health care group providers. At present she is seeking property for dentists, podiatrists and dermatologists and can provide financing for their specific requirement. She is currently working with a veterinarian who envisions a free standing building of approximately 8 to 10,000 s.f. in the Hudson/Nashua area. They would either purchase an existing building or purchase a three acre site for a build to suit. Their pocketbook can stretch from 1.5 million up to 1.8 million dollars. Diane made several announcements of upcoming events – on September 14 at 8:30 a.m. the Governor will be speaking at the offices of NAI Norwood Group with respect to governmental affairs; on September 25th a new members orientation will be held between 1:00 to 3:00 at the Concord Board office and on September 29th there will be a quarterly CIBOR meeting held at the Courtyard Marriot in Portsmouth from 8:00 to noon (three hour credits are pending at this time).
Jay Lee of NAI Norwood Group, Inc. announced that he has investors seeking self-storage complexes and/or single tenant leased properties. Jay finds that working with bankers is a great experience and can be a source of new and ongoing business. Jay is marketing a 1.04 acre retail/commercial site at 1289 Hooksett Road in Hooksett for $850,000 which is positioned next door to a Rite Aid. The traffic count is 29,000 cpd not even taking into account another 5,000 students who travel by the site on a daily basis. Jay is also marketing a 40 acre site at 1821 Hooksett Road in Hooksett which could be an ideal location for single or multifamily housing.
Steve Scheiner of St. Mary’s Bank explained that St. Mary’s was the first credit union in the nation formerly known as The People’s Bank or “La Caisse Populaire, Ste-Marie”. They are capable of loaning smaller amounts of $100,000 upwards to $7,800,000. The committee meets once per month to review loan applications but in many cases the loans can be processed in less time as the underwriter sits right outside his office!
Jeff Lessard of NAI Norwood Group, Inc. is working with a client requiring a 6,000 s.f. flex space within a ten mile radius of Manchester and would sign a three year lease. Jeff is marketing a variety of retail spaces at 185 Elm Street in Milford as small as 750 +/- square feet up to 12,000 +/- square feet priced from $5.00 to $10.00 psf NNN. Jeff has a small office space left in the building he just sold at 22 Eastman Avenue in Bedford which is comprised of 725 s.f. with a full service spa occupying the majority of the building. Listed at $12.00 psf modified gross.
Chelsea Rogers of Creative Office Pavilion deals in contract furniture and general layout design services. From ergonomic designs for good health and better production to excellent design to make for an efficient workplace, Creative Office Pavilion leads the way in innovation. Chelsea and her team can take inventory of your current office furnishings and recommend which can be used or refreshed for existing space or new, expanded spaces.
Jeff Brown of TD Bank explained that theirs is a regional commercial bank and likes to think that he has the tools of the trade to enable a loan transaction to get done no matter how complicated. With 1,500 to 1,600 some odd satellites from New England down the coast to Florida, much business can be accomplished for snow birds who travel to Florida each year. TD is a portable bank if you will. Jeff also shared with attendees that he is involved with the economic development high tech council. Should you have interest in attending or learning more about this endeavor, please contact Jeff.
Joe Friedman of Brooks Properties explained that their company is a vertical type of commercial real estate contractor purchasing land, obtaining the permitting, constructing the facility and then leasing and/or selling the asset. Joe stated that they have available industrial increments as small as 2,500 s.f. up to 15,000 s.f. with available office spaces from 1,200 s.f. up to 40,000 s.f. Their sphere of influence is very apparent in the Keewaydin Drive area of Salem and Red Roof Lane in Salem accessed off of I-93 at Exit 2. Joe is also marketing a variety of office and flex spaces in Derry, NH as well as Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Joe Campbell of North Branch Construction has been in business for some 39 years as general contractors from ground up to renovation work. They believe that becoming involved early in the process is instrumental in getting the best value for your dollar along with production efficiencies. The company currently has 30 employees on staff and are now working on a challenging project of retrofitting a 400 unit complex at the seacoast while it is occupied no less.
Christine Burke of Burke Emergency Restoration explained that theirs is a family run business with she, her husband and son all part of the endeavor. They have been in business for some fourteen years and now have ten employees dealing with all types of remediation from fire, water, mold, bio-hazard and a host of other related issues offering free estimates and are operational 24/7. As Christina commented, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a cold snowy season calling for much wind and water damage. In addition this will be a brisk hurricane season so please keep them in mind should your properties or clients’ sustain any damage or are in need of preparation prior to any of these weather events. They are the preferred vendors from a number of insurance companies as well as property management companies.
Marie Degulis of Secondwind Water explained that the company has been in the water treatment business for some 30 years. In the past they have primarily focused in on the residential sector but in 2017 have been more aggressive in enlisting commercial property business. Their company utilizes best practices in treating water seeking solutions to guarantee excellent water quality whether in health facilities, manufacturing facilities or in a home or office environment. Lastly, she pointed out that failed plumbing can also produce undesirable water which they can evaluate and find out if issues area all attributable to piping or other factors.
Aaron Bennett of Criterium-Bennett Engineers explained that they are part of a network of 53 offices specializing in a variety of specialties including but limited to commercial as well as residential building inspections. They also have expertise in the practice of cost segregation studies. Another skill set that is part of their repertoire is the study of reserves as it applies to condominium complexes and assessing what their capital needs are as it pertains to condominium associations. In addition they can share sage advice as to renovating an existing facility and whether to retain a particular investment or dispose of same. They can tend to a host of actionable items as it pertains to real estate.
Matt Lefebvre of Elm Grove Realty explained that their company is a full service company. They are working with an investor interested in the purchase of multifamily housing in the Manchester and surrounding vicinity. He is working with a bridal consignment store situated on the Milford Oval, Milford who would like to sell her small business for $75,000. Any ideas would be appreciated. Their company deals in the management of multifamily housing with some 1,300 units in their inventory in Manchester and beyond handling all of the in house maintenance.
Bill Jean of Fulcrum Associates is a family owned and operated construction business dealing in both fit-up and ground up build to suit construction assignments who contract work in New Hampshire statewide and Northern Massachusetts. Bill put his CIBOR hat on to say that he has been involved with the organization for some sixteen years and has been actively on the Board of Directors for ten years. He touted the friendships he has made with other CIBOR members developing long term relationships with many of his peers.
Jeff Boufford of Boyd & Boufford Insurance deals in commercial insurance in a variety of capacities whether with real estate investors, new construction and then insuring with a long term policy after completion. He is adroit at assisting people that have much pain in solving their insurance needs and has a keen ability to solve their individual problems. Jeff reiterated that he has derived many benefits by belonging to CIBOR with case in point – he was meeting with a client due to a referral by way of a CIBOR attorney. Jeff went on to say that he and Matt Bacon are membership chairs and would be happy to discuss the CIBOR benefits. Lastly, Jeff discussed an important policy which his company offers for site pollution protection which he can provide for either buyers or owners. He claims that spreading the risk for your insurance coverage needs helps with any impending problems down the road.
Louise Norwood of NAI Norwood Group, Inc. introduced a new executive business condominium for sale or lease at Spruce Park in Amherst comprised of 1,358 s.f. on the market for $156,500 or for lease at $12.00 psf NNN. In addition, a 2,560 s.f. double business/medical condo is also available at Bedford Heights in Bedford for sale at $295,000 or $12.00 psf NNN which was formerly occupied by a hand therapist. Lastly, NAI will be listing a hard to find retail space at the French Atwood Shopping Center at the corner of Wallace Road and Route 101 in Bedford adjacent to the Wine’ing Butcher Shoppe. This nicely laid out 2,300 s.f. space will be marketed in the mid twenty range.
As always, it was a great meeting and was well attended. We appreciate everyone’s support and give a special shout out to Ray Sirois of Service Master Disaster and his team for providing an excellent breakfast repast for all those present to enjoy. Hope everyone has a great rest of their summer and we will meet again on the fourth Wednesday of September at the Keller Williams training room here in Bedford. And please bring any pamphlets, brochures or marketing materials on your company, listings or recent accomplishments.