2023 Trusted Advisers: Galen Pellham

Last edited 4:32 p.m., Sept, 28, 2023

Andy’s Frozen Custard is among the most well-known business names grown from Springfield and southwest Missouri.

Lesser known is Galen Pellham’s role in developing nearly 20 corporate stores in new markets and assisting a franchisee to expand its footprint. His under-the-radar work for the dessert chain began eight years ago. Pellham says he was retained to find investors to fund Andy’s planned corporate stores.

“This involved an investor providing funds to purchase the land, construct the building and site improvements, soft costs and closing costs, which may total $2 million,” he says. “Having an investor fund the store and lease-back would save Andy’s paying a 20% down payment – up to $400,000 – per store.”

Pellham says he developed detailed pro forma financial statements showing the upfront costs and return on investment after a five-year term, and the financial strategy paid off for the corporation. His efforts funded several stores each in the Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City markets, and one in Springdale, Arkansas. The investors he secured, he says, have included a single mom, real estate investment trusts and family members pooling money together. Pellham even became an investor.

He says this type of creative work for clients stems from his first career as an architect. His livelihood has been nearly equally split between 25 years in architecture and now 23 years in commercial real estate. He co-founded Pellham-Phillips-Hagermen Architects and Engineers Inc., which is responsible for designing the city of Springfield’s Busch Municipal Building, James River Church and the John Q. Hammons office building among its projects.

“My training and experience as an architect have given me a much better understanding of planning and zoning issues, highest and best use of a property, building codes and regulations, the architectural and engineering design and construction of various types of commercial properties,” he says.

Pellham also credits his certified commercial investment manager designation he earned for helping him think outside the box for his clients at Murney Commercial. The coursework trains in financial, market and investment analysis skills, as well as helping users make prudent decisions.

In 2022, Pellham says he had $25.3 million in listings and sales contracts among his 35 closed transactions.

Pellham started his real estate career with Carol Jones Realtors in 2000 and later founded Pellham Commercial Realtors, which he merged with Murney.

His work has earned him a couple awards from the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors: the Platinum Metal Award of Excellence in 2022 for a high volume of transactions and the Gold Medal Award in 2012 for closing $8 million-$16 million in transactions for three straight years. Pellham says he also is often annually listed as a Co-Star Power Broker.

Pellham has served as a board director for Springfield Little Theatre and the Springfield Regional Arts Council – for which he had a term as president – and his architecture firm designed the Landers Theatre renovation for its 75th anniversary, as well as involvement in the design and construction of the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.