Harsch Investment Properties: Family Pride Builds Long-Term Relationships

By Barbara Lewis, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Harsch Investment Properties arrived at Hacienda in 1998 with the purchase of the Stoneridge Business Center at Stoneridge Drive and West Las Positas Boulevard and, since, have added Hacienda West and Hacienda Lakes to their local presence. The management of these properties is achieved from the company's offices at 3875 Hopyard Road, Suite 180 where operations and leasing functions are performed.

"At our local office, four office staff and two building engineers are dedicated to the service of our customers here in Hacienda," says Senior Property Manager Julie Remy. "They include large corporate tenants like Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard, Kaiser Permanente and Standard Pacific Homes as well as a host of professional firms, small business, and newer companies like Neotract and Mill Creek Academy."

The company's reputation is about building extremely long-term relationships with their tenants and adding new properties that Harsch intends to keep and improve. An example of that is the 450 Sutter building, a San Francisco property that Harsch purchased in 1962. "We have relationships with tenants in the building that literally go back two generations," adds Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Nancy Gille. "A father may have had an office there and now his son has the business. Perhaps his granddaughter may have it in the future and we'll still be there."

Harsch Investment Properties is a privately-held company that was established by Harold J. Schnitzer more than 50 years ago when he converted an old warehouse in Portland, Oregon into an office building. His son, Jordan, the company's current president, joined his father in the business in the 1970s and, together, they expanded and diversified Harsch's holdings geographically and by product mix over the next 25 years.

"Being privately held allows us to focus on what's right for our buildings, our tenants and the community," states Gille. "We work hard to create environments where people enjoy working and where they can be efficient and happy and their employers successful.

"It's been exciting to see the transformation of some of these properties and receive thank-you notes from our tenants for the improvements we've made," Gille continues.

"Many of the improvements are behind-the-scenes like energy savings, etc., but some are aesthetic and very visible. A good example of the latter is the redesign of the water features at the Hacienda Lakes property. In that case, Harsch brought in a nationally renown Japanese landscape designer, Toru Tanaka, from Portland. By changing the features from uninspired fountains to trickling waterfalls from natural stone bases, he optimized the features to complement the willow trees, creating a much more pleasing experience."

"Property management involves a variety of things," adds Remy. "It's everything from taking care of our tenants, collecting rents and implementing leases to designing and managing projects and environments with a long-term perspective. I think that's the nice part of Harsch; looking at properties as the basis for long-term relationships and improving their quality over time for optimal comfort, efficiency and appearance."

Harsch Investment Properties owns and operates more than 100 properties in the five western states of Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, and Arizona. Its portfolio consists of 17 million square feet of office, multi-tenant industrial, and retail commercial properties, as well as more than 2,000 multi-family housing units.

More information is available at the company's web site at www.harsch.com.

Photo: Harsch Investment Properties' Hacienda staff manages three separate projects in the park, including Hacienda West (seen above).

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