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June 10, 2008 - Vol. 7, No. 15 |
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Oklahoma City Professional Forum Updates
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Scene from Gaillardia Country Club, where IAMC's Oklahoma City golf outing will take place |
Michelin North America President to Address Oklahoma City Professional Forum
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Richard Wilkerson, president,
Michelin North America | Richard Wilkerson, president of Michelin North America, will deliver the Monday luncheon keynote at the IAMC Oklahoma City Professional Forum on "the challenges of maintaining a competitive edge in a global environment." He will draw from challenges and business strategies that have evolved as a result of global competition, rising costs, and Michelin's commitment to sustain a strong manufacturing base in North America. During his 25 years with Michelin, Wilkerson has held manufacturing and personnel positions in the U.S., France and Scotland. Prior to becoming president of Michelin North America, he was executive vice president of Personnel and was responsible for the Environment and Prevention Department. Michelin, the parent company of Michelin North America, is big, ranking 341st on Fortune's Global 500 list. And the company places second in the "2007 Global Tire Company Rankings," with 2006 tire sales of $19.3 billion.
Chris McNutt is the IAMC Active member with Michelin North America. |
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Terry Rees: "I've Personally Transacted Projects in more than 55 Countries"
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| Terry Rees | Active member Terry Rees of General Electric is one of IAMC's most experienced corporate real estate executives. In an interview published in Site Selection magazine's "IAMC Insider," Rees says, "I began working in corporate real estate in the mid-1970s at Union 76 in Atlanta, Ga. During my 32 years in corporate real estate I've also worked for Abbott Labs, United Technologies, Landauer Associates, Colliers International, The Staubach Co. and DTZ Staubach. On his university years, he recalls, "My undergraduate studies were political science, German, and English (I have a dual major Liberal Arts degree and Pre-Law from Utah State University). My postgraduate work was at Georgia State University, where I studied business, business law and real estate." |
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IAMC Member Company Holcim: an Interview with the CEO
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Holcim's $905-million cement plant in
Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., is projected to
be the nation's largest when complete in 2009. | Swiss-headquartered cement and building materials conglomerate Holcim is investing heavily in India, Eastern Europe and Latin America, and is building a major cement production plant in the U.S. The company takes a broad view of corporate success, which is reflected in its strategy. For instance, in Site Selection magazine's interview of Holcim CEO Markus Akermann he says, "We must all take our corporate responsibilities seriously and recognize the significance of the 'triple bottom line,' which covers economic, social and ecological factors." |
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Selecting a Real Estate Project Management Firm
Many companies quite effectively manage real estate projects internally. But if there are many projects or some are of very large scale, hiring a project manager can reduce the risk of cost overruns and delays. The article "Real Estate Project Management Improves Bottom Line" contends that "In the final analysis, the right project manager can mitigate risks, reduce your time involvement, and improve your ROI." The piece includes five suggestions for picking the right company and designated manager: check references, examine the firm's relationships with contractors, vendors, etc., look for great interpersonal skills, evaluate the leadership capabilities, and look for a proactive management style. |
Short Subjects
Study: CMBS Prices Hurt by "Irrational Fears"
- The widely traded commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) that provide a major portion of the liquidity for commercial real estate investments have faced falling prices lately. A study by Jun Han contends that some of the downward price pressure is not due to weak market fundamentals but, instead, to illogical and fear-driven conclusions. Han writes, "Fixed-rate, investment-grade CMBS perform very well in the study's stress-tested analysis, with minimal defaults, credit losses or yield degradation."
Too Much Globalization?
- You've heard the maxim "moderation in all things," usually spoken in reference to something good that might be taken to excess. Here's a blog article making this observation about the business globalization trend. The author says, "If we think about a key impact of globalization it is the fact that it creates new networks that threaten old power structures; it increases visibility of differences (especially 'haves' versus 'have-nots'); and because it has no established governance system, it has led to a massive upsurge in corruption, illicit trade (drugs, prostitution etc.) and lack of transparency and accountability (for example, the financial services debacle)."
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| Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas |
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Click here to write your questions, suggestions and comments. |
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