Galen Pellham leaves PPH to pursue real estate career

by Paul Flemming

SBJ Staff

Galen Pellham is pursuing new challenges after 20 years at the architectural firm that bears his name.

"Sometimes you need to let a child grow up on its own. I'm confident the firm will continue to grow," said Pellham, former president of Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman Architects-Engineers.

Pellham formed the firm in 1977. He was joined by Larry Phillips, PE, in 1979 and Jerry Hagerman, AIA, in 1986. Jeff Wells, PE, another principal in the firm, will now serve as chief executive officer and Hagerman is president.

Pellham has his broker's license in commercial real estate and has joined CJR Commercial Group. He will begin a property management practice at CJR and start Pellham and Associates, an architectural consulting service, to complement real estate sales and property development.

"My father entered the real estate business as his second career, and I've always had an interest in it," Pellham said.

Though that interest had been brewing, the decision to leave Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman Architects-Engineers came during Pellham's Christmas break.

"It was the end of the year. I'd just got my real estate broker's license and had to determine where to put it," Pellham said. "The initial idea was to get (the license) under Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman and have the firm develop projects. But I felt like I didn't have the expertise to have my license on my own."

He said the people and their experience at CJR Commercial Group convinced him to start there. Among the folks at CJR is his wife, Marleen. The two will work together.

The property management portion of Pellham's work will be concentrated in commercial office property, he said. He is one of six investors who own the Eleven Eleven building on South Glenstone that houses Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman and has about 31,000 square feet of leasable office space. Pellham has managed the building and will continue to do so.

The formation of Pellham and Associates will complement his real estate work.

"I visited with people and it seemed my architecture experience would really reinforce and maybe give an edge over other commercial" real estate people, Pellham said.

He said for clients who are considering buying an existing building to add on to or renovate, he could provide preliminary information on properties to meet the requirements of the client. For those looking to build new, he said, he could assess the project's needs, provide preliminary site plans, exterior drawings and cost estimates.

"Once they purchase the property, I would discontinue architectural service and another architect could come in" and provide complete, final plans for building, Pellham said.

Finally, after a project is complete, Pellham said he can offer clients his property management services.

After his first week at the new job, Pellham declared himself happy in the real estate business. The full impact of his decision did not strike him, he said, until his last day at the architectural firm, when he composed and sent e-mail to employees announcing his departure.

"Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman has done a lot of tremendous projects. I was just ready for a new challenge. I left the firm as friends."

PHOTO CAPTION:

Galen Pellham, founder of Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman, now has his broker's license and is working at CJR Commercial Group.[[In-content Ad]]