Grubb & Ellis expanding affiliate program.

Grubb & Ellis Company is continuing to expand its affiliate program, Grubb & Ellis Affiliates, Inc., an initiative began by the firm five years ago to bring its growing array of integrated consulting, strategic planning, management, and transaction services to local markets all over the country.

Last year, Grubb & Ellis made the decision to build beyond its traditional transaction capabilities, and committed itself to an aggressive acceleration of its overall advisory capabilities for owners, users, and investors, as well as institutions and corporations.

With the addition of its 39th affiliate, Coldstream Real Estate Advisors, with offices in Bedford and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Grubb & Ellis Affiliates has now become the one of the largest groups of affiliated companies in the commercial real estate industry.

"Our goal is balanced growth," said Grubb & Ellis president and CEO, Barry Barovick. "We are currently looking at all aspects of the business to create the proper array of advisory services that will help owners, investors, and users deal with all of the planing and implementation issues surrounding their real estate assets. We strongly believe that these affiliations will help us bring the impact of our growing global advisory into the local market in a way that has never been possible in the past."

According to Phil Royster, the Grubb & Ellis executive charged with growing and overseeing the affiliate program, the firm established its affiliate program five years ago to offer a broader geographic coverage of high quality services for its clients, especially those with multi-market real estate needs. Qualified affiliate candidates, said Royster, are required to demonstrate the highest level of client service, professionalism and experience.

"As G&E affiliates, the local market companies benefit from global research systems, training, information technology services, software tools, and other programs designed to help them bring global reach and state-of-the-art advisory services to the local market. In turn, Grubb & Ellis benefits from the local market expertise and local market. dominance that many of the independent firms offer. It's the kind of arrangement we think works in the 21st century business environment," he said.