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Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Real Estate 2025: JENNINGS, JON
Jennings is the third generation to lead the general contracting firm, which was started as a masonry firm in 1952 by his bricklayer grandfather, Lawrence Floyd Jennings. Larry Jennings, L.F.’s son and Jon’s father, joined the company in 1965 and helped expand the business into general contracting. In the 1980s, the company made another shift, […]
Real Estate 2025: PETERSON, JON M.
Founded in 1965 by Peterson’s late father, Milt, Peterson Cos. is responsible for some of the most prominent and successful mixed-use retail, residential and office developments in Northern Virginia and Maryland, including Fairfax Corner, Fair Lakes, National Harbor, Burke Centre and Tysons McLean Office Park. Peterson, who became executive committee chairman in 2016 and CEO […]
Real Estate 2025: DIVARIS, GERALD S.
Divaris co-founded his real estate firm more than five decades ago in South Africa, where he earned degrees in accounting and real estate marketing, and then brought the company to Virginia in 1981. The following year, Divaris Real Estate, one of the companies now under the Divaris Group umbrella, opened its doors in Virginia Beach. […]
Real Estate 2025: KETTLER, ROBERT C. ‘BOB’
While a student at George Washington University in 1974, Kettler got his start in real estate by remodeling apartments. A third-generation builder and the product of a long line of real estate developers, he left school to focus on work. After discovering a passion for community development, he founded real estate development company Kettler in […]
Real Estate 2025: FLORANCE, ANDY
CoStar Group, a real estate marketplace and analytics company, owns Homes.com, Apartments.com, LoopNet and STR, among others. In March, the company moved its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Arlington County, a $20 million investment on top of its $339 million purchase of the 560,000-square-foot tower on Wilson Boulevard. Over the past year, CoStar has acquired […]
Real Estate 2025: PHIPPS, AARON
In May, Phipps took the reins as the residential real estate developer’s leader, succeeding Carl L. Hardee, who retired. A graduate of Purdue University, Phipps joined Lawson in 2013 as vice president and chief financial officer and received a promotion to senior vice president in 2017. Lawson was founded in 1972 and specializes in the […]
Real Estate 2025: KING, ROBERT M. ‘BOB’
Since 1978, King has been leasing shopping centers for individuals, private partnerships and institutional clients, and he has led the commercial real estate company’s retail leasing team since 1985. He was named president of the firm in 2019 and took over as chairman in 2023 when his adoptive father, Harvey L. Lindsay Jr., died at […]
Real Estate 2025: FRANKLIN, W. TAYLOR
Franklin became CEO in 2023, succeeding his father, Wendell, who is now chairman of the real estate development, management and investment firm. Previously chief operating officer, Franklin oversees approximately 1,050 employees, as well as a portfolio of 200 properties in 10 states and Washington, D.C. In 2013, Franklin, his father, Tom Johnston and Steve Cooper […]
Real Estate 2025: LAFAYETTE, LAURA D.
Between her leadership positions with the Richmond Association of Realtors and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service, Lafayette serves more than 6,800 Realtors in Central Virginia. In May, her MLS launched a data share agreement with Bright MLS, allowing subscribers to search current and historical property listing information. While the Central Virginia system covers […]
Real Estate 2025: GANNON, MATTHEW
Gannon joined Colliers International as executive managing director and Washington, D.C., market leader in 2019, taking on responsibility for the strategic direction and performance of the firm’s offices in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland. He also leads the company’s national agency leasing platform, having served in a similar role at Paramount Group before moving [&he[...]
