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Chicago
Agent Magazine
October 23
"Bob Horner:Committed to Quality" |
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In our high-tech society, it seems everything is quickly
becoming paperless and virtual, yet Bob Horner, co-principal
of Evanston-based Winthrop Properties, says that one of
the most satisfying aspects of being a residential developer
is that it is tangible.
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"We all work hard to provide for our families and
ourselves and, to me, it's very rewarding to have something
palpable to show for my efforts at the end of the day,"
says Horner.
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Horner, however, did not begin his real estate career
in development. Before forming Winthrop Properties, he
served as the CFO for Pulte Homes; GM of Pulte's Illinois
division; CEO of Pulte's mortgage subsidiary; and CEO
of both Sears Mortgage and Citicorp Mortgage.
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After more than 15 years on the financial side of home
building, Horner decided to make the switch to development.
In 1993, he met Ibrahim Shihadeh, who he would team with
to form Winthrop Properties.
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"The partnership is a perfect fit, " says Horner.
"We each bring our area of expertise to Winthrop
Properties and complement each other well. I specialize
in the marketing and finances and Ibrahim brings experience
in engineering, design and rehabilitation to the team.
Together, we can take on more challenging projects, in
terms of both building sites and design."
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The duo had developed several successful projects in the
Chicago area before they officially became Winthrop Properties.
In 1994, Horner and Shihadeh started work on a small apartment
conversion, located on Winthrop Avenue in Chicago. Because
it was their first project without outside investors,
they adopted Winthrop Properties as their handle.
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Today, Winthrop Properties is responsible for nearly a
dozen residential communities in Chicago and Evanston,
including 111 Morgan, Printers Row Lofts, Madison Bishop
Townhomes and Evanston Galleria. Winthrop Properties currently
is offering sales at tow new construction high-rises:
Printers Corner in Chicago's Printers Row neighborhood
and Winthrop Club in downtown Evanston. For Horner, each
development is special to him for different reasons.
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"With Printers Corner, I am very proud that we were
able to creatively utilize a small site to create a unique,
attractive and functional building," he says. The
boutique building offers 88 condominiums and features
a faceted architectural design allowing each condominium
to be a corner unit.
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The company's latest development is also something Horner
can be proud of, as it is on track to become Evanston's
first residential LEED-certified building. Winthrop Club
will feature sustainable floor plans and construction
designed to meet the requirements for Silver LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from
the U.S. Green Building Council.
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"It's extremely exciting to raise the bar for new
construction condominiums in Evanston," says Horner.
It's a phenomenal locations and that has carried the market
there to this point. We wanted to offer the kind of quality,
luxury and forward design that buyers expect of downtown
Chicago on the North Shore.
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"Attention was paid to each and every detail, from
the finishes in the residences to the amenities to the
overall design of Winthrop Club," Horner continues.
"Quality has been on of the keys to our success.
We create buildings we are proud to put our name on and
our buyers feel good about living in."
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With an eye firmly focused on detail, evident to even
the most scrupulous buyer, Winthrop Properties continues
to be successful. The company's business model is about
quality and that is the way Horner prefers it.
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"Having been involved with major corporations in
the past, and managing thousands of employees, I prefer
to be in a position that allows me to have personal contact
with the entire process from design to customer service,"
he says. "So we plan to continue doing three to four
quality projects at a time as opportunities present themselves."
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To anyone who has met Horner, it's evident he truly enjoys
his job, meeting people and working with his buyers. In
fact, he likes working with buyers so much that he hired
one. Earlier this year, Horner brought Chad Baugh, former
buyer at Winthrop's 111 Morgan, on board as Winthrop's
director of sales and marketing.
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"It's pretty common to have an employee purchase
a home at their company's development, but it says a lot
about Winthrop Properties that I bought from them, lived
in their product and had complete confidence in then working
for the builder," say Baugh. "My experience
as both a resident and as a member of Bob's team are the
same. His passion, his concern, his commitment —
it's there in everything he does."
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And Bob's response? "It's simply the right business
decision."
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