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. “

Cobalt Sets the Maintenance Bar for First Commercial Realty

Dallas, TX. March 29, 2010- Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC, is awarded the parking lot sweeping contracts for eight of First Commercial Realty’s North Texas properties.

President of Cobalt Real Estate Services Adam Teckman explains “to be awarded the majority of a client’s property management portfolio is a maintenance companies dream and after talking with First Commercial’s property manager about why they needed Cobalt, it just re-affirms the industry shift that must happen, asset preservation is now a priority among property owners.

The “industry shift” Teckman is referring to is the standard many property maintenance companies have set through their lack of performance or sense of urgency for their clients. “When we first spoke with First Commercial Realty and asked them what they were looking for in a property maintenance company, they simply replied ‘for you to do the job you say you will.’” Teckman goes on to explain, “we later found out their contracted sweeping vendor had been collecting a check for the past 4 months for a service they hadn’t been doing…that is unacceptable.”

It is safe to say that every business is feeling the effects of a recession, so why would any service provider underperform? Teckman offers “frankly, it boils down to laziness. We [Cobalt] hold ourselves to a higher standard by servicing every maintenance contract with the sensitivity of a personal investment.”

About Cobalt Real Estate Services
Cobalt is not a vendor broker. Cobalt owns their own equipment including: sweeping trucks, power washers and maintenance materials and employ their own staff. Cobalt offers maintenance services under the umbrella of maintenance and repair services, day portering services, as well as pressure washing and parking lot sweeping. Cobalt’s clients include but are not limited to: retail shopping centers, office parks, medical complexes, industrial facilities and warehouse facilities.

More about Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC: www.cobaltrealestateservices.com

More about First Commercial Realty:
www.firstcommercialrealty.com

Inland Continental Property Management Corp. Gets Cobalt to do Their Dirty Work

Dallas, TX. February 24, 2010- Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC, is awarded the parking lot sweeping and portering contracts for two of Inland Continental’s North Texas developments; Robertson’s Creek and Craig Crossing.

The two shopping centers make up well over half a million square feet in commercial shopping center space. Cobalt CEO Alex Gerber states “we are very excited about our relationship with Inland Continental Property Management. I am confident we will help Inland maintain Robertson’s Creek and Craig Crossing as though we owned these assets ourselves.”

Robertson’s Creek and Craig Crossing only make a small dent in Inland’s entire management portfolio which includes 112 million square feet of commercial real estate across 27 states. Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., Inland Continental’s parent company, is the 5th largest shopping center owner in the United States, they manage a total of $25.5 billion dollars worth of assets. (Inlandgroup.com)

The commitment to make Inlands property manager’s jobs easier will continue to be the norm for Cobalt. Gerber explains, “we are obsessed with providing reliable vendor services for Inland Continental so their property managers can be more efficient at managing their assets and tenants.” Gerber goes on to state that “[Cobalt] is very excited to get to work with Inland Continental and we strive to become a vendor of choice for all Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc.”

About Cobalt Real Estate Services
Cobalt is not a vendor broker. Cobalt owns their own equipment including: sweeping trucks, power washers and maintenance materials and employ their own staff. Cobalt offers maintenance services under the umbrella of maintenance and repair services, day portering services, as well as pressure washing and parking lot sweeping. Cobalt’s clients include but are not limited to: retail shopping centers, office parks, medical complexes, industrial facilities and warehouse facilities.

More about Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC: www.cobaltrealestateservices.com
More about Inland Continental Property Management: www.inlandgroup.com

Cobalt Real Estate Services Lands Maintenance Contract for Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital in Richardson

Dallas, TX, January 25, 2010 – Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC. expands their client categories to include hospitals with the addition of their newest contract with Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital in Richardson, Texas.

“We are very excited to be working with Reliant CEO Emmett Moore and expanding our services to include this very important industry vertical” says Adam Teckman, president and founder of Cobalt.

It would make sense to assume that maintaining a hospital parking lot should be no different than maintaining a retail shopping center parking lot. But what makes a hospital client particularly unique is the shift in how the maintenance crew needs to think about who they are servicing and why?

The bottom line to servicing any commercial exterior is always to ensure a clean and safe environment for its patrons. However, with servicing the exterior of a rehabilitation hospital, President of Cobalt, Adam Teckman explains, “there is no room for error when maintaining these facilities. The clients of these hospitals generally have very little range of motion and are sometimes in a lot of pain. Therefore, even a grease stain on a sidewalk can turn into a devastating slip and fall.”

Teckman goes on to say “not only are we committed to making the property manager’s job easier, we are also committed to the safety of the patrons who frequent these facilities, understanding in some cases that people are depending on us to make their commutes a little safer. The expectation we set for our performance is we maintain it like we own it.”

About Cobalt Real Estate Services
Cobalt offers maintenance services under the umbrella of maintenance and repair services, day portering services, as well as pressure washing and parking lot sweeping. Cobalt’s clients are not limited to: retail shopping centers, office parks, medical complexes, industrial facilities and warehouse facilities.

More about Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC: www.cobaltrealestateservices.com
More about Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital: www.relianthcp.com

Commercial Property Maintenance Company, Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC. Receives Sweeping Contracts from Texas Developer, Vista Property Company

Dallas, TX. January 8, 2010 – Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC, is awarded the parking lot sweeping contracts for two of Vista Property Company’s Dallas developments; Sierra Vista and Torre Vista.

Vista Property Company, a Dallas based commercial developer, has awarded Cobalt Real Estate Services with two parking lot sweeping contracts for their South Dallas projects; Sierra Vista and Torre Vista, which make up about 320,000 sq ft of retail.

There is a substantial list of specialty vendors who specialize in commercial maintenance services, so why choose Cobalt?

President and Founder, Adam Teckman explains “the reason Cobalt Real Estate Services is unique is because myself and my business partner [CEO and Founder Alex Gerber] have the firsthand experience in commercial real estate including; brokerage, development, and management and therefore we understand where the industry is lacking. Our clients need a property maintenance company who understands what developers, brokers and property managers go through during their encounters with their property maintenance vendors.”

While many business owners put a halt on business expansion during hard economic times, these entrepreneurs have decided to go against the grain, so why start a new business, in real estate of all industries? Gerber explains “property maintenance is a service every commercial development needs whether it is spot cleaning new construction or maintaining older developments, it has to be done.” Gerber goes on to mention “we are committed to making property manager’s jobs easier. The expectation we set for our performance is pristine cleanliness maintained by reliable, dependable and trustworthy service teams.”

Cobalt is not a vendor broker. Cobalt owns their own equipment including: sweeping trucks, power washers and maintenance materials and employ their own staff. Cobalt offers any maintenance service under the umbrella of; full services property management, maintenance and repair services, day portering services, pressure washing, parking lot sweeping and landscaping. The company is capable of servicing clients such as; retail shopping centers, office parks, medical complexes, industrial facilities and warehouse facilities.

More about Cobalt Real Estate Services, LLC: www.cobaltrealestateservices.com
More about Vista Property Company: www.vistapropertyco.com