Bill Bledsoe is #1 Producer in 2016 – with only 5 years of CRE experience, investment & land specialist climbs to the top

(Dallas, TX)  Henry S. Miller Companies congratulates Bill Bledsoe, Vice President of Investments in the Dallas office, on being the firm’s top producer in 2016. Bill joined Henry S. Miller in 2011 after a decades-long successful career in the automotive industry. His expertise has allowed him to work with a number of automotive dealership clients as well as developers and investors. Mr. Bledsoe offers specialized knowledge in dealership facilities redevelopment, leasing and business expansion, including site selection and the disposition of related property.
Career History
Together with his father, brother and brother-in-law, the Bledsoe family owned and managed three Dodge dealerships in north Texas that were sold to AutoNation in 1997. In 2000, Bledsoe moved with his family to Tampa, Florida, where he worked with AutoNation. While living in Florida, he launched and managed an online automotive marketing firm. Bill and his family moved back to Texas in 2007.

Upon his return, Mr. Bledsoe got his real estate license and worked in residential for a couple of years before setting his sights on commercial with the thought of leveraging his automotive relationships and dealership knowledge. He initially interviewed with several local firms, but didn’t get far.
“At the time, I was 53 years old,” Mr. Bledsoe recalls. “The larger firms were looking for young guys who they could train, or who already had some commercial experience. But then I answered an ad on the Henry S. Miller website, and came in for an interview. I think they liked my common sense approach, so I was hired.”
Bledsoe admits that the beginning was a bit lean. “The first year was tough, and the second year was only a little better,” he says. “I considered quitting, but basically I’m too stubborn for that. Plus, I knew that if I worked hard, there were opportunities in CRE and money to be made. By the third year, things started clicking. I had made contacts and built relationships, and now the dealers were calling me.”

Achievements at Henry S. Miller
Mr. Bledsoe was able to offer his 2016 automotive clients and investors some worthwhile opportunities. In addition to the traditional retail automotive outlets, the warehouse sector has offered a new take on the automotive industry; Bill facilitated the leasing and purchase of warehouses for a few new and used car dealers needing storage and new sales outlets. The year also brought land deals for investors looking for development opportunities.

Some of Mr. Bledsoe’s 2016 transactions :

• 
17.5 acres on Interstate 35W at Keller-Hicks in AllianceTexas, an 18,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use community located in north Fort Worth. The seller was Mr. Tom Durant, of Classic Chevrolet, and the buyer was TCRG Properties, LLC, an industrial park developer.
• 7 acres in North Oak Cliff that overlook downtown Dallas and is zoned for multi-family development. The undisclosed buyer was looking for an exceptional property in a high growth market. The seller was undisclosed.
• Allen Samuels Auto Group purchased the former Grubbs Infiniti on Airport Freeway. Buyer is currently launching a new auto retail concept, Allen Samuels Direct, a retail automobile dealership that features current and newer model luxury vehicles as well as late model trucks at wholesale prices.
• 12.9 acres off I-30W at Belt Line Road in Grand Prairie, Texas. A local developer plans retail pad sites and commercial development for land next to Grand Prairie Ford. Construction is underway for service roads to the site that is along the busy I-30W corridor connecting Dallas and Arlington.
• New Braniff Centre at Love Field located at 7701 Lemmon Avenue, the site of the former Braniff Maintenance Terminal and Dalfort Aerospace.

Secret of Success
Mr. Bledsoe says the secret to his success is really not a secret. Hard work and a willingness to dig deep in order to understand what your clients are trying to achieve is essential to putting together a successful deal.

Looking to the future, Bill sees himself staying at the Henry S. Miller Company for many years. “I think the DFW market will continue to out-perform the rest of the nation as it has in the past,” he says. “Of course, there will be ups and downs, but overall I am optimistic. I’ll just keep my head down and be on the lookout for deals.”