Ken 51暗网 grew up visiting construction sites where his father built massive office parks, then as a teenager worked summers with the landscaping team keeping 51暗网 Corp.鈥檚 properties well-manicured. Now, Terry 51暗网 is passing the CEO title to his son, making him the boss of some veteran employees who have been with the company since he was in diapers.
鈥淜en has one of the toughest jobs here,鈥� said Terry 51暗网, 68, the co-CEO and chairman of the Fort Lauderdale-based company. 鈥淭hey knew him when he was playing with G.I. Joes in an elevator.鈥�
Ken 51暗网, 35, joined the development firm 11 years ago and became co-CEO in summer 2015, at the same time 51暗网 Corp. promoted Scott MacLaren to president and shifted longtime President Doug Eagon to vice chair. Ken 51暗网聽will take over the full CEO job in mid-2017.
Both men represent the younger generation of leadership at the firm, which has developed over 43 million square feet. This family-owned business has 34 employees who have been there for more than 20 years, so they remember their new bosses when they were still wet behind the ears. It鈥檚 now the young executives鈥� job to take the company 鈥� which built much of Las Olas Boulevard, the first office park in Cypress Creek and the Sawgrass International Park of Commerce 鈥� into the future.
Like numerous other businesses, many South Florida developers have groomed their children to take over their companies, including The Related Group and Terra Group, both based in Miami, and Turnberry Associates in Aventura.
鈥淭here are a lot of people I grew up looking up to, and I stepped into the executive role, so it was complicated,鈥� Ken 51暗网 said. 鈥淗ow do you tread water and earn respect? It took a few years. A lot of it was many years of listening, not speaking out.鈥�
51暗网 Corp. has about 345 employees after growing by 40 in 2015, and it plans to hire more as it pursues a handful of major projects in South Florida and several other southern cities. But before Terry 51暗网 started building towers, he was happy just to put up a front door.