Avison Young opens new office in Southwestern Ontario market

Fifth Ontario location represents another step in company's strategy
to expand client services both domestically and internationally

TORONTO, Oct. 18 /CNW/ - Avison Young, Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company, announced today the opening of a new office in Southwestern Ontario.

The newest Ontario office, located at 299 Brock Road South in Guelph, will initially comprise local industry leaders Ray Robinson and Ted Davis, together with Ryan Wilkinson who will join them from Avison Young's Mississauga office. The newly-formed Guelph office will be led by Robinson as Managing Director.

Southwestern Ontario is a market area comprising 2.4 million people. Guelph, a city of 115,000 people, is centrally located in Southwestern Ontario, 28 kilometres east of Kitchener-Waterloo and 100 kilometres west of Toronto. The city is consistently rated as one of Canada's most livable cities because of its low crime rate, clean environment and generally high standard of living.

"The opening of an office in Southwestern Ontario is a response to growing market potential for Avison Young's services in the region," comments Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young. "The new office will act as our base of operations in Southwestern Ontario, serving the markets of Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge in particular, and is a great opportunity for Avison Young to build on the successes of our other Ontario and national operations. With their combined backgrounds and experience in the industry, Ray Robinson and his team will build upon Avison Young's foundation of quality service and lead us to further growth."

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young opening a new office in Boston, MA earlier this month.

In the last 24 months, Avison Young has grown from 11 to, now, 23 offices and from 300 to more than 700 real estate professionals in 20 locations across Canada and in the U.S.

"We are thrilled to open an office in Guelph with the level of experience and success that Ray, Ted and Ryan deliver," notes Martin Dockrill, Managing Director of Avison Young's Mississauga office. "Given their market knowledge and professional skill sets, Ray, Ted and Ryan complement our drive to be best-in-class in all of the markets we service. We are excited about the strengthened service platform we can now offer to our clients who do business in Southwestern Ontario."

Dockrill adds: "Located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario, the Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Brantford areas attract and support a wide range of Canadian and international businesses in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, logistics and distribution, technology, retail and professional services. Guelph allows us to stay embedded in the marketplace, in a central location, and close to all major highways." 

Avison Young opened its first U.S. office in Chicago, IL in 2009. Since then, the company has opened offices in Washington, DC; Lethbridge, AB; Toronto North; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Tysons Corner, VA; Boston, MA; and now Guelph, ON. The company also acquired Tysons Corner, Virginia-based Appian Realty Advisors, LLC and Atlanta-based Hodges Management and Leasing Company (HMLC) in July 2010.

"We are excited about the opportunity to open a commercial real estate office in Guelph and to bring Avison Young's brand and the credibility derived by this brand into the Southwestern Ontario market," says Robinson. "We believe that Avison Young continues to be the most proactive real estate brokerage in Canada, if not all of North America. We are impressed by the company's strong management team, its global vision and client-centric approach to business, and we look forward to contributing our knowledge and experience to the growth and success of the company."

He adds: "Southwestern Ontario is a diversified region that possesses deep roots in the history of our nation, and led by employers such as RIM, Linamar, Toyota and Ferraro Rocher Canada, is a key contributor to the success of Canada. We look forward to working with our new and existing clients and providing them with first-rate real estate services."

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and ranked among Canada's leading national commercial real estate organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate company comprising more than 700 real estate professionals in 23 offices across Canada and in the U.S. The company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.

Biographies

Ray Robinson

Ray Robinson was most recently Vice-President, Industrial Division with Cushman & Wakefield in Mississauga. He joined Royal LePage in 1984 and has since become one of North America's top commercial real estate brokers and the number one salesperson among the Toronto suburban offices. 

Robinson was given the title of Vice-President, Industrial Division in recognition of his high level of achievement over the past 24 years. During this period, he has been involved in the sale or lease of 14.2 million square feet and 2,515 acres of land. The value of these transactions exceeds $579 million. Ray is also one of only 10 salespeople in Canada to have attained Cushman & Wakefield's prestigious Hall of Fame (sales producers category) award, for achieving 20 years of President's Round Table status.

Prior to joining Royal LePage, Ray successfully owned and operated a heating and air conditioning company in the Kitchener/Waterloo-Guelph area for 17 years. He is a Past President of The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada. From 1982 to 1984, he was Chairman of the Canadian Environmental Exposition, which is the largest plumbing and heating show in Canada. He has served on many committees and organizations, always rising to the chair, and is very active in many charity organizations. He has been a member of The Society of Office and Industrial Realtors (SIOR) since 1993.

Ted Davis

In partnership with Ray Robinson, Ted Davis specializes in the sale and lease of properties within Southwestern Ontario and surrounding areas. His background includes six years with Cushman & Wakefield, where he was involved in the sale or lease of 2 million square feet of space for a combined value exceeding $70 million.

During his time in the industry, Ted has become one of the prominent up-and-coming commercial real estate brokers in the market. He was chosen to attend the Emerging Brokers Training Program in New York where training tools are showcased and offered to emerging agents in the business. Ted was also featured in the article: "Young Stars are Filling the Brokerage Bullpens" in the Mississauga Business Times.

Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Ted was in the trucking and waste industry for seven years. Within the industry he has worked in numerous positions, including mechanics and warehousing through to management and financing. A graduate of Conestoga College School of Business in Kitchener, Ted is a member of the Canadian Institute of Management (CIM) and has received the prestigious Canadian CIM designation. He has sat on a number of boards, including the Board of Directors for CIM in the Grand Valley District, where he has served as Director of Marketing and Editor of Publications for the past five years. Ted is also involved with the United Way and Alzheimer Society, and has donated his time to speaking engagements for the Certified General Accountants, Grand Valley Human Resources and Canadian Institute of Management, as well as presentations at the University of Guelph on development and environmental stipulations.

Ryan Wilkinson

Since joining Avison Young in 2007, Ryan has focused his attention solely on business development in the Southwestern Ontario market in an effort to create additional brand awareness in an emerging marketplace. As a current resident, former University of Waterloo quarterback and University of Waterloo Athletic Hall of Fame member, Ryan has been directly involved in the Waterloo region since 1994. Throughout this time, Ryan has been an active member in multiple outreach programs and volunteered his time with both high school and university football coaching programs. Also, with his vast personal experience in the business and athletic sectors he has participated in multiple guest-speaking arrangements to both the athletic and business communities.

Noted for his overall knowledge of the Southwestern Ontario industrial and office markets, Ryan offers a multi-discipline approach, including financial analysis, market research and negotiation skills, to create true value for his clients in both tenant and landlord representation. In the past 12 months, Ryan has participated in the leasing and sale of approximately 500,000 square feet of industrial, office and investment properties.

Prior to joining Avison Young, Ryan played professional football in the CFL (Canadian Football League). He also has seven years of business experience through multiple business ventures in both Canada and the U.S., which bring added value to his clients.

Editors/Reporters: please click on links to view and download photos of Ray Robinson, Ted Davis and Ryan Wilkinson

http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Ray_Robinson_400.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Ted_Davis_400.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Ryan_Wilkinson_400.jpg

For further information:

For further information, comment or photos:

• Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young:[phone]or[phone];[email protected]
  
• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: [phone]
  
• Martin Dockrill, Managing Director, Mississauga, Avison Young: [phone]
  
• Ray Robinson, Managing Director, Guelph, Avison Young:[phone]
  

www.avisonyoung.com

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