International SIOR President Mike Hillis joins Avison Young in Las Vegas

Industrial real estate specialist becomes Principal

LAS VEGAS, March 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Joseph Kupiec, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Las Vegas office, announced today that commercial real estate industry leader Mike Hillis has joined Avison Young in Las Vegas.

Effectively immediately, Hillis joins Avison Young as a Principal, and will specialize in industrial real estate agency leasing, tenant representation and investment sales transactions. He was most recently a Principal with Cushman & Wakefield I Commerce's Las Vegas office.

"Mike Hillis is a highly respected commercial real estate professional, proven industry leader and consummate team player. Given his excellent client relationships, he will further complement and strengthen our growing industrial platform and overall local presence in Las Vegas," comments Kupiec. "Bringing Mike on board represents another important step in Avison Young's efforts to execute the company's strategic growth plan in Nevada, as well as across North America and overseas."

Hillis brings more than 30 years of real estate experience to Avison Young. Throughout his career, he has negotiated and completed transactions covering all phases of commercial real estate and business transactions. He has represented a variety of local, national and international clients in transactions that have spanned 24 states and Canada. As an industrial real estate specialist, he has developed considerable expertise in warehousing, logistics and distribution, and continued to serve clients long after transactions close.

Prior to entering the commercial real estate industry, Hillis served for nine years as president of the international sporting goods and manufacturing firm Easton Aluminum, developing state-of-the-art, automated distribution facilities in Salt Lake City that shipped products globally.

Outside of his new day-to-day duties with Avison Young, Hillis will complete his term as 2014 International President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). His current role as SIOR's President complements many previous leadership positions he has held serving on SIOR's executive committee and board of directors for the past five years.

Hillis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and industrial management from the University of Oregon School of Business. He has also obtained his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to join a company as progressive and innovative as Avison Young, and to assist in the growth of its industrial real estate base in Las Vegas. Avison Young has a well-established network of industrial real estate professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada, and I'm looking forward to tapping into the group's knowledge, expertise and contacts in order to benefit new and existing clients," says Hillis.

"What attracted to me to Avison Young was its Principal-led, client-centric culture, which fosters cooperation and ensures that resources are focused on client solutions. Avison Young also appealed to me because of its emphasis on the need for brokers to be leaders in an industry of which I am very proud to be a part. I greatly value the leadership positions that I have held with industry associations such as SIOR, and I look forward to sharing my ideas with the many industry leaders at Avison Young," he adds.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,500 real estate professionals in 54 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959
• Joseph Kupiec, Principal and Managing Director, Las Vegas, Avison Young: 702.472.7978
• Mike Hillis, Principal, Avison Young: 702.637.7711
• Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610
• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and requalified in 2012 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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•Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Mike Hillis

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/MikeHillis.jpg

SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

For further information: Media Relations: Sherry Quan, 604.647.5098 or 604.726.0959, [e-mail]