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 Jim Eckert, head of global real estate solutions for Owens Corning for sharing his!
- Tell us a little bit about you:
The scope of the position is comprehensive of the entirety of the company’s global real estate holdings consisting of more than 320 properties, 42 million Sq. Ft. of space, 65% of which is leased and 35% of which is owned. The portfolio encompasses 3 key operating divisions and their subsidiaries, and properties are located in more than 25 countries throughout the globe. The position is accountable to provide expertise and direction in the conduct of real estate transactions and all other real property related affairs of the company, including leasing, site selection, property acquisitions, facility management programs, incentives negotiations, build-to-suit projects, disposition of real estate assets, and M&A due diligence. The position is also accountable to ensure real estate affairs are conducted in support of business strategies, real estate risk is mitigated, that value is created through best-in-class real estate transaction and occupancy services, and that real estate work is done in accordance with company governance policies.
Personal Background: I grew up in Northeast Ohio and received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Youngstown State University. While working on my graduate degree, I worked alongside one of my professors in a research assistantship sponsored by the Federal Department of Transportation. When I graduated from college, I worked for a decade in capital delivery as a field owners representative managing industrial real estate projects. That part of my career was followed by a role as corporate facility manager for Owens Corning and while in that role was responsible for directing the development of Owens Corning’s Corporate Headquarters facility. In 1997, I began a focused role in corporate real estate in which I was able to build a real estate center of excellence for the firm and managed Owens Corning’s real estate portfolio for 25 years.
- Tell us about your path to corporate real estate.
My educational background is in Civil/Structural Engineering followed by a decade of field construction experience leading to the management of real property and then to a comprehensive role in corporate real estate. Along the way I continued to study and grow my skills and obtained licensure in both real estate sales and brokerage. Each of these experiences has been contributory to a wealth of experience and insight related to the Corporate Real Estate processes and the management of real property. I have conducted well over 1000 real estate projects and have performed real estate work in over 25 countries.
- What is your favorite part of your role, or the industry as a whole?
One of the things that I enjoy most about corporate real estate is the fact that it is an endless learning experience. Each day is different than the one before and there is always something new and interesting to be involved in and something new to learn. I also very much enjoy the interaction with people, the variety of locations and geographies in which I do business and the unique challenges that seem to arise daily.
- What is one skill specific to your job could you share with the rest of the membership?
I think one of the things that I learned early on is that having data and knowledge about your real estate portfolio positions you well to be the go-to resource and leads others to you for solutions. Building a strong and informative database, information repository and archive are essential components of being able to assert yourself as the authority in real estate matters. These attributes coupled with having highly skilled talent on your team, strong relationship building, and world class business processes make for an unbeatable and highly competent real estate function.
- Tell us about a CRE or FM project in which you played a role of which you were particularly proud.
There are so many wonderful and interesting projects that I have been involved in. I have always truly enjoyed construction - the smell of fresh concrete, and the sound of impact wrenches get my juices flowing. While most of my experience has been with industrial facilities, one of the most interesting projects that I have led was a commercial project, the design and construction of Owens Corning’s World Headquarters in the late 1990s. This was a striking 400,000 Sq. Ft. project on 45 acres which was designed by world famous Cesar Pelli and Associates from New Haven, Connecticut and Hines, and I had the pleasure and honor of working directly with the late Cesar Pelli on the project. The project was the first large scale office facility constructed in the United States with an underfloor air delivery system and had many other attributes that were unique and forward thinking for the times. The project was highly successful and widely benchmarked for form and function with firms coming from as far as Australia to tour the facility.
- What led you to join IAMC?
I became involved with IAMC in the mid-2000s with my first forum taking place in Williamsburg. I was encouraged to join by some seasoned service providers that I was working with at the time, Don Bain and George Elliott from Cleveland. From the start I recognized the value that the organization could bring me through both structured learning and through networking. I continue to be surprised by the number of IAMC members that I encounter in my everyday real estate work, and I cannot understate the value the relationships that I have created within IAMC have brought to my professional effectiveness. IAMC has been an excellent way to stay in touch with emerging trends in the business, to benchmark the work of other corporate real estate professionals and to grow in knowledge and perspective about the work of service providers and economic development professionals. I have been honored to have served on the Board of Directors for 3 years and am currently co-chair the Professional Development Committee.
- Fun Facts:
- Tell us about one thing you have on your bucket list.
To see all four of my kids become successful in their careers and personal lives. Oh, and to continue ticking off world class golf courses on my playlist! - What was your first job?
Working with my dad in his furniture store; cleaning the store and delivering furniture. Throughout college I worked as a shipper/receiver for a plumbing supply distributor, for a steel building fabricator and for a heavy industrial crane design firm. - What would your superpower be?
Surrounding myself with highly qualified and talented people who are smarter than I am.