IAMC Member Spotlight
As an organization, IAMC fosters relationships that turn into both business partnerships and long-term friendships. The path to corporate real estate varies widely, and our members come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds.
We thank John Gackstetter, Director of Real Estate for ABC Supply Co., for sharing his!
- Tell us a little bit about you:
I grew up primarily on the east coast in the DC Metro Area and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. I now live in Southern Wisconsin with my beautiful wife and 2 children.
- Tell us about your path to corporate real estate.
I graduated with a degree in Architecture in 2011, and with an industry still reeling from the Great Recession, I quickly came to the conclusion that there were other ways to contribute to the built environment other than design. I chose to pursue an opportunity at a regional development company as a construction project manager. After 5 years pricing, procuring and managing construction, I moved into a financial analysis role and transitioned to world of asset management. I then grew to lead all development efforts at that company, and when an opportunity arose to move to a corporate real estate role, I made the jump to ABC Supply! I’ve been lucky and fortunate to have been offered tremendous opportunities, responsibilities and growth throughout my career.
- What is the scope of your responsibilities at your organization?
The director of real estate position oversees a department of 40 employees including asset/transaction management, construction management, facility management and design. ABC has a portfolio of 43,000,000 SF, 1,700 Assets across the United States and Canada, and oversees approximately $200,000,000 in capital construction projects per year.
- What is your favorite part of your role, or the industry as a whole?
What I love most about corporate real estate is that we become a strategic function of the business model, decisions are justified by the business opportunity, as opposed to an Owner/ Investor structure where real estate IS the business model, and you live and die by IRR and yield hurdles.
- What is one skill specific to your job could you share with the rest of the membership?
Having a degree in design, a background in construction, and experience in real estate transactions and development has given me the skill to intimately understand the intersections of these three industries and how to effectively and efficiently manage that for a successful corporate real estate program.
- What led you to join IAMC? What do you enjoy most out of the organization? If IAMC has helped you in your career in any way, and you’re able to share, please let us know.
IAMC provides a space where CRE individuals can connect, learn, network, and grow outside of everyone’s highly competitive business environments. IAMC levels the playing field, lowers barriers and actively plans and creates relevant topics and events. Through this organization I have met, helped, and have been helped by individuals who experience the same challenges I see on a daily basis. The value of IAMC to Corporate Real Estate Professionals is tremendous.
- Fun Facts: Tell us about one thing you have on your bucket list.
Only 2 items on my bucket list: Go to the Kentucky Derby and see the Cherry Blossoms in Japan.