We’re starting the new year with some exciting news. First, we’ve changed our name from Carlson Commercial to Carlson Partners. The new name better reflects our growing company, which now provides opportunities for our senior real estate experts to become partners.

Second, Tim Olsen, most recently our senior vice president – and with us since 2014 – is our first official partner. Ted Carlson, president at Carlson Partners, described how the changes further fortify our team’s ability to provide highly tailored, superior consultative services.

“We’re committed to delivering the most strategic consultation and market expertise to our clients, so it’s essential for us to retain and acquire advisors like Tim, who have great talent and experience to share.”

Tim is very dedicated to our company and our clients. He’s an industry veteran with a 15-year track record that includes working with many national, regional and local companies. He specializes in tenant representation, lease negotiations, real estate acquisitions, consolidations, and advisory services.

“I’m honored to be named a partner. While taking care of clients is always my first priority, continuing to grow my practice at a company with like-minded team members is very important to me.” Tim added that providing best-in-class real estate advice, while bringing on new team members, remains the firm’s first priority.

Tim is a graduate of St. Cloud State University. In addition to being a Minnesota licensed real estate broker, he is a member of the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MNCAR), the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and he has earned a Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) designation.

Outside the office, Tim’s a devoted Minnesotan. He enjoys bow hunting, upland hunting, competitive hockey and giving back to the community. He’s on the Cystic Fibrosis Board for the Minnesota and Dakota chapters. In 2016, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation selected him as a “Twin Cities Finest” for his philanthropic efforts and professional success.

We’re excited to welcome a new member to the Carlson Commercial team. Connor Nichols is joining us as an associate, bringing with him the entrepreneurial spirit and positive energy that we know will translate into success for our clients.

Connor started his career early and has shown a remarkable amount of persistence and natural savvy about the real estate business. Connor built a residential real estate business from the ground up after working in construction in high school. He never stops looking for opportunities, and isn’t afraid of putting in the time and effort to get the job done right. We’re confident that his strong work ethic and the knowledge he’s gained from his unique experiences will make him a great asset to our commercial team.

“We knew Connor would be a great fit for our team from our first meeting,” said Ted Carlson. “He has a knack for finding opportunity in a market, and he’s ready to bring that experience to our commercial clients. And he’s fun to be around. We’re truly looking forward to working with him. ”

We know our team is one of the best in the business, and we’re thrilled that one of our own is getting some well-deserved recognition. Stephanie Lee, a stand-out commercial real estate broker and strategist at Carlson, is a 2017 Women in Business award winner. The awards are sponsored by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and honor industry-leading executives and entrepreneurs.

Read the full article from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

New faces. Big deals. New offices. And a merger.

There were a lot of exciting developments at Carlson Commercial this year, making 2015 one of our best so far.  Amy Carlson joined Carlson Commercial as CEO this year, bringing a fresh perspective and added experience to our team along with visionary leadership to the company. “My role is to lead our company and focus on long term strategies for growth, pursue national accounts, and link my retail expertise with the industrial, medical and E-commerce expertise of our team,” said Amy.

We moved our offices to a new, inviting modern space in Edina to be accessible to our clients and convenient for our team. Our merger with Gannett Peak Partners strengthened our strategic and collaborative team and is allowing us to differentiate in a competitive market.

We had several new clients join our roster this year, including HD Supply and Caterpillar. In addition, our team worked throughout the year to find solutions for existing clients, signing deals in Minnesota for Verizon Wireless, Flint Hills, EMC Minnesota, and FedEx, among others. We continued our work with Gopher Resource in Tampa, Florida and strategically secured them a 107,000 sq. ft. warehouse, making for a big win for both Gopher Resource and Carlson Commercial.

The outlook for 2016 is equally bright, and we look forward to building on the momentum of a successful year. “The company has grown and we have some exciting things on the horizon,” said Carlson.

Carlson Commercial had to meet the needs of its most discerning client yet on this project: itself. Since launching in 2011, the firm has been on a rapid growth trajectory, maxing out its Eagan, MN, location. We needed more space, with more options to reconfigure for individual and collaborative projects.

The CC team put its expertise to work! We led our leaders through the same strategic process we use with clients to closely evaluate and prioritize our needs, including space for additional growth and a convenient location for our team and our clients. The result:  finding an awesome 1,434 sf space in an easily accessible, customizable, central location in Edina, MN. Then, we built-out to include many of the modern touches our clients want: reconfigurable workspaces, collaborative environment, sit/stand desks, and an edgy, industrial-theme design. Needless to say, our “client” is thoroughly enjoying the result.

At Carlson Commercial, we believe in giving and getting involved. Every year, we set aside time and money for organizations that we are connected to, either personally or professionally. In addition, we regularly donate a portion of fees on behalf of our clients to organizations that are important to them.

“We are dedicated to the clients and communities we serve.  We believe that philanthropy is a measure of our business performance and we routinely donate a portion of our fees to local area nonprofits, ” said Amy Carlson, CEO. There’s a story behind every contribution. Here are a few:

One Village Partners (www.onevillagepartners.org) works as a catalyst to transform rural villages into empowered, self-reliant communities. Phil Kluesner, senior vice president, not only contributes financially to One Village Partners he motivates the whole Carlson Commercial team to help with their annual real estate fundraising breakfast.

Ted Carlson, president, values his connection with organizations where he contributes his time and energy. As a board member of Lifeworks (www.lifeworks.org), he’s devoted to their mission to provide people with disabilities with opportunities for meaningful work.

Organizations we supported in 2015:

University of Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni

Gigi’s Playhouse

University of Wisconsin School of Business

Lifeworks (sponsorship and technology pledge)

Camp Fire

Pancreatic Center Action Net

Create a Memory

City of Hope

Children’s Hospital

One Village

St. Jude

American Cancer Society

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan

Hammer

Wounded Warriors