Team of 6 Joins GVA Kidder Mathews, Creates Forestland Services

OLYMPIA, WA (January 4, 2010) – GVA Kidder Mathews has added a team of 4 commercial real estate brokers and 2 associates to its Olympia office to form the firm’s new forestland specialty group. The team, all formerly with Colliers International, specializes in timberland sales and consulting for both development purposes and timberland investments in Washington, Oregon, and California. Consulting services include forest management plans, timber cruising, investment acquisition, property management, feasibility/planning, advocacy with governing jurisdictions, and entitlement.

The brokerage team has an average of 30 years of expertise in the timber industry and will be headed up by Mike Flanagan. Flanagan, a former top producer at Colliers, has been named a vice president with GVA Kidder Mathews and is joined by brokers Bruce Krieg, Paul Bialkowsky, and Tom Shay along with their support team.

Flanagan says there are several reasons for the move, but it is primarily due to the fact that GVA Kidder Mathews is growing their operations while others in the commercial real estate industry are cutting back. Colliers will be closing its Olympia office, where the forestland professionals were headquartered, and merging their brokers into another location. “GVA Kidder Mathews has offices in the states where we do business, and we are excited to work among the firm’s professionals who are known for their experience and extensive client relationships”, says Flanagan.

Jeff Lyon, GVA Kidder Mathews’ Chairman and CEO says, “We are always looking for additional services to offer, and the focus of this group provides a nice alternative investment vehicle for our clients. Timber assets grow 5% to 8% annually regardless of economic conditions.”

GVA Kidder Mathews is one of the largest, independent commercial real estate firms on the West Coast, with over 400 real estate professionals and staff in 9 offices in Washington, Oregon, and California. The firm provides a full array of brokerage, appraisal, property management, consulting, sustainability practices, forestland services, and construction and development management services.

For more information, visit www.gvakm.com.