Cushman Realty opens NY national accounts group.

In a major move that significantly enhances its national and regional account capabilities, Cushman Realty Corporation, an international real estate firm, has created within its New York office a division dedicated to high-level national corporate real estate representation and sophisticated advisory services.

In addition, three talented and experienced real estate professionals - James H. Coleman, Richard L. Podos and Paul M. Aschkenasy - have already joined the new group, which will operate under the direction of Brian J. Dugan, the Cushman Realty vice president and executive managing director, who heads the New York office.

The announcement was made by company founder, President and CEO John C. Cushman.

"We decided the time had come to expand our New York presence to better service corporate clients headquartered in this region," said Dugan, who expects the new brokerage division to divide its accounts equally among national, Manhattan and New York Metropolitan-area clients. "Messrs. Coleman, Podos and Aschkenasy have experienced the most challenging real estate market in recent memory. They share the Cushman Realty philosophy of providing sophisticated service and creating real estate value for clients, and we are very excited to have them on board. "

Modeled after the company's headquarter operation in Los Angeles, the New York division will maintain a high ratio of analysts and researchers to support every broker. This multi-disciplined team approach will enable the New York office of Cushman Realty to handle the entire array of real estate operations for its clients, including strategic facility planning, portfolio review, municipal incentives structuring, market research, financial analysis, space planning, lease documentation and building systems, and design evaluation. Dugan projects that the brokerage group will grow to approximately 10 people by year end, and has already embarked on an aggressive search for brokers, consultants and research analysts to round out the staff.

According to Dugan, the division will serve the national facility requirements of corporate, professional, industrial and high tech companies, and work with clients in the formulation, execution/implementation of real estate strategies across the nation.

Coleman, senior director, was previously senior managing director and senior marketing consultant for Wm. A. White/Grubb & Ellis, where he represented such clients as Paine Webber, Ply-Gem, Danskin, Reliance Industries and Horn & Hardart/Hanover Direct. He began his real estate career at Grubb & Ellis in 1985 and left in 1987 to become director of leasing at ATCO Properties. Coleman returned to Grubb & Ellis in 1991 to concentrate on strategic services for large and mid-size corporations.

Podos, senior director, began his real estate career with N. Peter Burton & Co., where at the age of 23 he arranged the sale of the Tiffany Building for $94.5 million ($1,000 per square foot). After the firm's 1989 merger with Wm. A. White/Grubb & Ellis, Podos became managing director, working primarily with Paine Webber in the management of its national real estate portfolio and with Mitsui Fudosan  as agent for 1251 Avenue of the Americas. He has completed office leasing, operations center, warehouse/distribution, and investment sales assignments for such clients as The Dreyfus Corporation, Horn & Hardart/Hanover Direct, Marine Midland Bank, AT&T, and Pernod-Ricard/-Austin Nichols.

Aschkenasy, director, joined Wm. A. White/Grubb & Ellis in 1991 where he negotiated leases, sales and sale/leasebacks for office, manufacturing and warehouse/distribution operations in addition to developing municipal incentive packages for relocating client business divisions. He has represented such national corporate clients as Horn & Hardart/Hanover Direct and Ply-Gem.