CB Richard Ellis to celebrate its anniversary year.

CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. marks its 100th anniversary this year, commemorating the origins and notable past of a company that was founded shortly after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

"CB Richard Ellis has a long history, made rich by the contributions and successes of some of the real estate industry's premier professionals," said Brett White, the company's president and chief executive officer.

"Every one of our 17,000 men and women carries forward a proud tradition of excellence in client service."

The firm that is now CB Richard Ellis traces its roots to San Francisco in 1906. Months after the massive earthquake, 23-year-pld Colbert Coldwell founded a real estate company based on what was, at the time, a revolutionary philosophy: put integrity, ethics and the client's best interest above all.

By the 1940s, the firm had grown to be one of the largest in the western United States.

By the 1970s, it had gained national prominence following expansions in its services portfolio and geographic coverage.

In 1989, employees and third-party investors acquired the company's commercial operations and formed CB Commercial.

During the mid-1990s, the firm made several strategic acquisitions, culminating with the 1998 acquisition of REI Limited--the holding company for all Richard Ellis operations outside the United Kingdom.

The company name was changed to CB Richard Ellis.

In 2003, CB Richard Ellis acquired Insignia Financial Group, bringing together two of the world's most influential real estate companies to set a new benchmark for commercial real estate services.

The company enjoyed two more milestones in the next two years: an initial public offering in 2004 and becoming the first real estate services company to merit inclusion in the FORTUNE 1000 in 2005.

"The past decade has been an exciting time for us, particularly following our series of strategic acquisitions that brought the CBRE brand into new global markets and enhanced our existing range of services," said White.

"Looking ahead, we are well positioned to meet the increasingly complex and multi-faceted needs of all our clients, from emerging growth companies to multi-national giants."

CB Richard Ellis will commemorate its 100th anniversary throughout the year with special activities, including its annual World Conference to be held in San Francisco in September, anniversary-themed communications, special client events in major markets and a commissioned book on the company's service, vision and leadership over the past century.