Helping commercial property owners “sweep up” value, the Cobalt way

It’s more of a struggle than ever to get consumers to part with their hard-earned dollars at a large shopping center or mall. But how can the owners of those large real estate properties expect to sweep up the profits if their parking lots aren’t well-swept? If store entrances aren’t free of trash and sidewalk stains? If greenbelts need mowing?

How can commercial real estate companies expect to light the way for their investors…when some of the lights in their mall parking lots aren’t working?

Adam Teckman knows firsthand the value in a well-maintained shopping area – and he now knows it from both sides of the property management equation.

Teckman used to be responsible for maintaining 3 million square-feet of shopping centers and malls for a large commercial development company based in Dallas. The anchor tenants in those properties were A-list companies – SuperTarget, Lowe’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney’s. It was a big job, and Teckman was depending on the kindness – and professionalism – of strangers.

“In managing a commercial property, you need a lot of people to help you, you need a lot of services done, performed by vendors, for any number of reasons, and you need them in timely and professional manners,” Teckman said. “And I just found that there just wasn’t a group out there that was that professional and on-time and responded well, and fulfilled a need for that.”

So Teckman decided to do it himself by co-founding Cobalt Real Estate Services, which bills itself as a one-stop shop for large property owners who need a variety of management services. Rather than dealing with a lot of smaller, independent vendors, Teckman says Cobalt can save companies money – in a challenging economy – by consolidating all those needs.

Cobalt’s crews – which are based at each site for 24/7 response – provide parking lot sweeping courtesy of a fleet of new trucks, along with landscaping, day porter services, handyman-type repairs, electrical/mechanical/plumbing needs and pressure washing. The company also provides regular reports to property managers.

“If you can consolidate with me, then I can make it so that I provide all your services for less than you’re paying for everyone else to be out there,” Teckman said. “My trucks, my crews, everyone’s on-site to provide all these services for you. Rather than have five to ten different people out there, you just have one.”

Teckman obviously knows there’s a need for this type of service, considering his previous experiences. But it’s still the biggest of entrepreneurial leaps; Teckman used to be based in an air-conditioned office working for one of the biggest development firms in the Southwest. Now he’s responsible for his own company, and sometimes runs a sweeper truck through North Dallas shopping center parking lots.

“To go from behind the desk to behind the wheel of a sweeper truck is definitely a change in pace, and certainly a change in life. But you know, it’s exciting for me,” he said. “I really like what I’m doing because I understand the value in it for people. I understand why they need me there and I think that’s satisfying – to know that I’m able to be someone’s solution for their problem, I think, is a really good thing and that’s really the whole basis for our company.”

And what about those smaller, independent vendors who might take a look at Cobalt’s shiny new sweeper trucks and the (obviously) cobalt-blue shirts and claim that Teckman’s company will overcharge for his services?

“It doesn’t cost anybody anything to be professional,” Teckman responds. “If you show up and you do a good job, you’re looking better for your tenants, you’re doing better work for them. It doesn’t cost me any more to run my sweeper truck or have my crews out there. If you’re already going to have the services done, I can do it for less and I can do it better. “