by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
In the next 20 to 50 years, the United States is going to double in size. Where are we going to put all these people when they show up in Jacksonville?
Figuring that out is the main goal of the new president of the local chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, J. Patrick Thorton II.
“My initial goal is to continue the work that past presidents Fitch King and Mike Shalley have done before me,” said Thorton, who has served on the NAIOP board for the past six years.
NAIOP has about 300 members locally and will rank about 15th in the country.
“We are the liaison between the government and the citizens of Jacksonville,” he said. “My goal is to let everyone know that NAIOP is that go between. NAIOP has done a study that shows that the United States is going to double in size in the next 20 to 50 years. One of NAIOP’s responsibilities is smart growth.
“Fifty percent of the population is going to be in the states of Florida, California and Texas. What are we going to do with all the people coming to our state and in particular, where are we going to put them that are coming to Jacksonville? They are going to need a home and an office.”
Thorton said NAIOP wants to let everyone know that there is a thing called smart growth.
“We can’t turn our backs to the fact that we are growing as a community,” he said. “We are going focus on the commercial side and how we handle smart growth within our community. That’s one of things that NAIOP is studying and that I am going to be active as president in 2005.”
NAIOP meets 10 times a year in various locations around Jacksonville. Regular meetings are usually held on the third Wednesday of each month. Thorton is working on some special events, but he’s not sure where they will be held yet.
Breakfast meetings instead of lunches, golf tournament, bus tour and a past presidents breakfast are just some of the events planned for this year.
NAIOP meetings are for those in the commercial real estate industry including developers, brokers and anyone who services the commercial real estate industry.
“The most important thing that they get out of attending is networking,” said Thorton. “Since being involved in 1993, the networking has been phenomenal. Getting to know your peers in the industry on a local and a national level is very helpful. The guidance and assistance you get is wonderful. It’s great to be able to pick up the phone, call another member and say, ‘Hey I’m working on this deal. Have you ever done anything like this?’”
Thorton said he always gets a positive response and several alterative options to choose from to solve his problem.
Thorton joined Hallmark Partners in 1996 as director of marketing and became a principal in the organization in 1998.
Hallmark Partners is a full-service real estate company that specializes in office, industrial and retail
“We do leasing, property management and development of office, industrial and retail properties,” said Thorton. “I manage our office and industrial portfolio which consists of just over two million square feet. I’m basically responsible for leasing the product after we develop it and any build to suit developments that we do. I am also responsible for marketing Hallmark Partners.”
Prior to Hallmark Partners, Thorton worked for several commercial leasing companies in Jacksonville including Phoenix Realty Group, GATX Logistics and Fazon & Associates.
He has a bachelor’s degree in business economics from Wofford College.
After college, he joined Southeast Bank and became a corporate lender.
“I went and lived in Miami for a year and a half and went through their corporate training program,” said Thorton. “I wanted to further my education. Their training program was considered one of the top three training programs on the east coast. Going through that training program was like getting a mini master’s degree in business administration.”
He then decided he wanted to follow his father, J.P. “Pat” Thorton of The Development Group’s footsteps and go into commercial real estate.
“I’m trying to model my career after him,” said Thorton.
Thorton was born and raised in Jacksonville. He graduated from Bishop Kenney High School. He has been married to Mary for four years and they have two children.