McLoud and Company celebrates 10 years in business

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For 10 years, as of Nov. 1, 2002, the real estate firm of McLoud & Company has strived to accomplish its mission, "to ethically and profitably provide professional real estate services to the commercial real estate investing public." |ret||ret||tab|

The 10th anniversary observance "serves as confirmation of our commitment to our guiding principles as it relates to how we operate our company. The very first thing we agreed upon was that our integrity would never be compromised in any situation, nor would anyone working in our organization ever be asked to compromise their personal convictions in order to consummate a transaction," said owner and manager Tom McLoud. "Over the years, our core values have grown to include additional ethical standards and understanding our social obligations to our associates and community."|ret||ret||tab|

McLoud said he is proudest when a fellow worker extends a hand to those in need. "The most recent example of this was the staff's decision to contribute the vast majority of the $10,000 I had set aside to celebrate our anniversary to assist foster families. I asked them to recommend ways to celebrate and acknowledge our anniversary. They chose a nice dinner for themselves and let the remainder go to help those who are less fortunate. I'm not sure we can ask for anything better!" McLoud said.|ret||ret||tab|

He added that while business is about making money, "it is not only about making money. It is filled with responsibilities to our extended family of co-workers where decisions are made from the heart as well as the brain according to our values. You see, I think the ultimate challenge for me is to make sure that everyone involved in the organization views this as an extended family, knowing that we are responsible for each other's well being not only at work but outside of work as well." |ret||ret||tab|

When the company started in 1992, McLoud said, it began with no employees or real estate projects. By the end of February 1993, the company had six employees and several management contracts, including that of Corporate Centre. McLoud now has three sales agents and eight employees in the Springfield office, as well as two sales agents and two employees in the Arkansas office.|ret||ret||tab|

"Some of our largest assignments over the years have been the management contract at Corporate Centre as well as representing some large retailers in site acquisition such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Ramey's Price Cutter. We recently assisted in the development of a 110,000-square-foot office park in Arkansas and are presently in the process of leasing up that park," McLoud said.|ret||ret||tab|

According to information on the company's Web site, McLoud has "acquired, developed and managed an office and retail portfolio of approximately 900,000 square feet in the southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas region."|ret||ret||tab|

Potential commercial clients are attracted to Springfield because of "our size and the continued population growth, combined with Springfield's serving as a regional retail and medical hub," McLoud said. |ret||ret||tab|

Too, as mentioned on McLoud's Web site, the relatively low cost of building materials and installation/construction costs is a draw. Also, the state and federal highway systems provide wonderful access to the retail service area.|ret||ret||tab|

Property being managed or leased by McLoud includes Birch Tree Centre and Battlefield Place. The company is currently marketing large properties such as a 45-acre tract at I-44 and MM in Springfield.|ret||ret||tab|

"I think the future for Springfield will continue to be very bright. It is a strong, vibrant community serving as a regional hub for retail sales, medical services, and higher education. The city and county have both done a good job in planning for growth and attracting businesses which will continue to fuel the local economy. I would expect in the future that the area will become more regionalized as suburbs and the city of Springfield become one large metropolitan area," McLoud said.|ret||ret||tab|

"For us as an organization, we have great people on staff and would expect that we would continue to be successful in our ventures."|ret||ret||tab|

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