Orkin & Associates

By: Heather Loper Walker  

By: Marc Glickman

By: Josh Studrawa

Recently, Milton went through a slightly scandalous and highly amusing election. Nothing decidedly different than any other election, political or otherwise. Unfortunately, that is the problem. In this day and age, anonymity and character attacks are the norm. The Internet Warrior self-righteous in his Keyboard Courage lashes out from the safety of his home and does his best to affect the election (or worse, damage the character of a candidate) without providing his identity.

Why do we attack from the shadows, knowing that in our hiding we are removing weight from our message? I can understand arguing against that which you do not agree with or battling that opponent you truly feel is a substandard choice for leadership. What boggles the mind is not standing up for your beliefs in person.

Reading the Access Milton news articles that reported on the election, various comments were written that suggest inside knowledge of the alleged scandals taking place. It is one thing to maliciously attack with blanket statements regarding shortsightedness of development or sewer. Quite another to make disparaging remarks concerning a lifestyle or scandalous act (bribery, abuse of power, what have you). Especially when the comment comes from someone claiming personal knowledge of the event. Do our aspiring leaders, business people and politicians really hide behind a firewalled IP address and lob bombs like this? What is our world coming to, that our beliefs aren’t something we proudly stand behind whether anyone agrees with them or not? Heartfelt opinions and the strength to defend them are what created our country in the first place.

Working in Milton in the real estate industry, I am aware of the passionate development battle being waged in City Council meetings, election halls and conference calls. We all have our own positions on whether Highway 9 is a commercial corridor or just a road to get our kids to school. We support local politicians we know and trust to protect our interests in those areas. City Council meetings can get spirited, passion presented as logic or simple fact. Regardless, we all have to live and work here, together. Discussing issues face to face is what allows us to come to agreements and compromises. Hiding behind keyboards and routers only serves to drive us apart, fortifying us in our bunkers built by harsh words of liquid crystal. How can we ever come to understand each other and work together amidst the anger and bitterness when no one even knows who’s saying what or if they even have the position to know of what they comment on?

From news websites to video game forums, anonymity and condescension are the norm. The combination of a mask and impunity only serve to isolate each of us, putting distance between us and those we are actually trying to influence. As community leaders or even just regular people like myself, we owe it to our city, state, country and world to stand up for who we are and what we feel. Speak your mind, with a loud voice and clear conscience. Those with open minds and ears will hear and respect you all the more for it.
 

ATLANTA, GA (February 2010).   Orkin & Associates, LLC, a third-generation real estate and investment company in Milton, Georgia, recently announced the promotion of Marc Glickman to Vice President of Finance. 

 By: Heather Walker

Orkin & Associates, LLC instituted the internship program in the summer of 2008 when Milton High School senior, Susan Speaker, was selected for the first time position. Susan recalls her experience fondly stating, “As it was not a typical summer job, it was a great experience to serve as Orkin & Associates' Summer Intern last year. I enjoyed learning about the business and developing relationships with the team members. They were all helpful and taught me the various aspects of their jobs, including operations, finance and accounting, business development, and office management. Although my time there was brief, it solidified my decision to major in Business Administration in college this fall. I appreciate the opportunity to work for Adam Orkin and his team and look forward to continuing these relationships. I will always remember this summer job!”

As a third-generation, family-owned real estate, investment company located in Milton, Georgia, Orkin & Associates, LLC has grown from a raw land investment business to a prominent, multi-faceted company since its inception in 1964.  Orkin holds a well-diversified portfolio ranging from real estate to securities to equity funding in development projects and has most recently established a family business consulting practice offering high quality guidance to leaders of family businesses.  Orkin, through its development partner, Devin Properties, develops retail, residential and mixed-use properties, and provides full-service management to in-house assets through Orkin Asset Management.

By: Jason Wright

Milton considers itself a jewel of a place for families and their homes amid the hustle-bustle of metro Atlanta life. But some say in their zeal to protect Milton from change, the City Council makes it too difficult for new development.

Like any new city, the 23,000-acre exurban/pastoral community has run into its fair share of problems, but the one of most concern is that of over-development. Specifically, just how does the city balance the needs of planning for growth while maintaining Milton’s ideal as a “North Fulton oasis?”

Mayor Joe Lockwood said so far he’s heard some of the city’s decisions have resulted in a “Milton is anti-business” sentiment.

“But I never felt we were,” he said. “In my view, it’s better to be too conservative than the opposite.”

Possibly bolstering that notion is Councilwoman Julie Zahner Bailey. Some point to her Nov. 15 diatribe against Sembler Development, in which she said that asking for a variance without what council considered a hardship was disrespecting the community’s plan.

Sembler had asked for a buffer reduction in order to fit a proposed Kohl’s department store on its property along Ga. 9. She questioned whether the developer and department store chain had looked “deep enough” at meeting Milton’s standards. She also called for meetings with Kohl’s brass to develop a new type of hybrid store that would be more apropos for the city.

“I believe our policies require, first and foremost, that we protect the neighbors [from the development],” she said. “I’m concerned we’re losing sight of the impact to the residents that live here. I personally can’t support eroding a development standard.”

Milton Community Development Director Tom Wilson gets hit from all sides on this issue. He’s hounded daily by citizens and business owners who are concerned the city’s policies regarding everything from signs to building standards will sound the death knell for all they hold dear.

“In my position, I need to have a much larger view of this,” he said.

For example, at the Oct. 18 City Council meeting, Milton’s governing body passed unanimously a set of design standards for Ga. 9, ostensibly the city’s main commercial corridor. The standards were a long time coming for many residents who have pushed for more architectural unity in the area.

But an interesting thing happened on the way to creating law. A portion of the standards regulating buffers and setting building height at a maximum of 30 feet was deferred for fear passing something too restrictive might shut Milton out of Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority funding.

That cash could be used to create a pedestrian friendly downtown area in the future. In short, Ga. 9 has been identified by ARC as a “mega corridor” for future growth. That means multi-story buildings and sustainable living/working communities.

Wilson said whether or not Milton conforms to ARC policies for growth in the area is up to City Council, and therefore a “community values” issue. But the problem is that with the comprehensive plan update process – which will help define the Milton’s long-term growth policies – in its infancy, making a restrictive law could have long-term, and possibly detrimental, effects.

“There is just so much unknown at this time, it would be unwise to jump off the cliff,” Wilson said.

Adam Orkin is owner of Orkin and Associates and CEO of Devin Properties on Deerfield Parkway in Milton.

He lobbied to have the restrictions struck down for fear their passing could cripple Milton’s long term growth. Orkin said he feels “emotional” decision making – it’s no secret commercial development is a hot button topic among Miltonians -- is not good policy.

“I’ve been doing this for going on 21 years, and what I’m seeing in Milton is not a good team approach. We aren’t reaching out as a community and addressing all the interests of the city,” he said.

Orkin stressed those interests not being addressed include those of business owners.

“In our particular case as developers and real estate investors, we’re looking at new rules that apply to us, but nobody invited us to sit down and discuss the ramifications of these rules,” he said. “It seems like new rules get passed at every City Council meeting.”

Cary Schlenke is on the Planning Commission and voted for the height restrictions. She said she felt it was necessary to guard against encroachment on neighborhoods that abut Ga. 9. She also said it was explained to her that the effects of such a decision constituted a “gray area” at best because some properties in the area – it was unknown at the time which ones – might have the restrictions already.

“If there was a problem, we’ll pull it back,” she said.

Schlenke said she did not want her position to be confused with being “stuck in a no-growth” mindset. Rather, her worry was combating possible “blatant depreciation” of homeowners’ property.

“I think it’s important for the business community to have a voice in this also – we need balance and to find something that meets their needs,” she said.

And finding that balance is key, said Jahnee Price, vice president of policy for the Duluth-based Council for Quality Growth, a trade association for the development industry.

A former city manager in Fayetteville, Price said the beginning of the comprehensive plan update process would be the perfect time to talk to Milton’s committee about how growth could affect the city’s ability to provide quality services to residents.

Restricting building heights could cut possible tax revenues to half or a third of what could be reasonably expected, she said. And that could seriously compromise the city’s long term plans – and ironically burden the very homeowners activists are trying to protect.

“If you’re not super careful, that tax burden can shift to the property owners,” she said.

- www.northfulton.com

By: Adam D. Orkin

As the owner of a 3rd generation family business, I’ve learned that top performers share similar elements when it comes to delivering the goods, especially when the pressure’s on. For example, have you ever wondered how champion baseball players and authentic business leaders perform best at the most critical time? From what bag of resources do they draw to help them not only face the tough stuff, but to come out of the events successfully and energized? The answers may surprise you in their simplicity, and they have incredible relevance for leaders of family businesses as they address today’s challenging market conditions.

In my own developmental work as a leader, a critical factor our trusted advisers emphasize is this: when they have critical tasks to perform under pressure, top performers – whether they are professional athletes or business leaders - remove themselves from the “mechanics” of the task. Instead, they visualize executing flawlessly and elegantly. They intention peak performance and literally see those performances manifest before them. Through this critical type of mental preparation, actual execution of the tasks at hand become trailing components of processes that have already been largely handled.

How is this accomplished? As leaders, we almost always have access to the three key elements necessary for powerful performance:

1. Expert Guidance obtained through relationships with trusted advisers
2. Self Awareness gained via identification of authentic work/life and organizational goals
3. Execution toward authentic goals based upon trust in our abilities and those of our team

Basic as they may seem, everything necessary for peak performance rests within these elements. Too often, we try to make it more complicated. But turning leadership under pressure into a vastly complicated endeavor almost always turns out to be a tremendous waste of emotional energy, time and money. Consider… in these trying times, it is our intentions to succeed that count. If we do not fully intend to emerge from difficulties in positive, productive ways, the spirit that is vital to completing the mission is missing and, therefore, so is the energy required to summit difficult peaks in the range of work/life experience.

Perhaps the best piece of advice I can pass along to business owners and leaders is the importance of obtaining expert guidance. In order to succeed, the professional athlete seeks help from the best coaches in the business. Similarly, organizational leaders seek guidance from experts who understand their professional and personal challenges. While life is often “lonely at the top” for leaders even under normal conditions, the loneliness factor is exacerbated during recessionary cycles. When market challenges add up, nothing beats a trusted, expert adviser who provides a safe haven, absolute confidentiality and competent guidance. So, obtaining expert guidance is the first key element for family business leaders when nothing less than optimal performance will do.

Before leaving the topic of obtaining professional guidance, there is another factor to keep in mind. Contrary to what some consider “weakness,” it takes courage and self-confidence to reach out when it is obvious help from an expert external to the organization is indeed the right call. Peak performers always recognize the importance of obtaining first-rate guidance. So, for those of you who are hiding, and know deep down inside that help from a trusted adviser of your own would be just the right thing, climb out of that self-imposed prison and make the call!

So, the peak performer always recognizes the importance of obtaining first-rate guidance. Next, there is the element of self-awareness. Top athletes tell us they are able to visualize peak performances because they have an uncanny amount of self-awareness, derived from serious coaching and countless hours of practice. Because they are intensely and authentically aligned with their work, they are able to project themselves into demanding situations, and literally perform complex tasks mentally before the actual events even take place. Family business executives gain similar degrees of self-awareness from interactions with trusted advisers. Through careful exploration of their strengths and blind spots (often referred to as “shadow” behaviors), the business leader is able to project himself or herself into demanding situations and visualize positive outcomes. Fear, doubt and second-guessing fade. Instead, levels of confidence not realized previously enter the picture… and the results are extraordinary.

Finally, the element of execution comes into play. Equipped with the best coaching available, a picture of peak performance etched into his or her mind and powerful levels of confidence gained through self-awareness and practice, the top athlete approaches game time with a significant percentage of the challenge already conquered. Team mates and fans are there in support. The actual performance becomes a natural extension of what has already taken place through careful, personal investment.

I know from experience that, as a family business leader, entering the office each morning may not seem as dramatic as the Big League pitcher stepping up to the pitcher’s mound for an important game. But I also know the stakes are in many ways identical! Like that pitcher facing a legion of tough batters, the leader who has accessed superb coaching, has authentic goals playing mentally in vivid color, a bunch of practice under his or her belt and a team in which he or she places tremendous trust is positioned for success in ways others who have not made similar efforts will not realize.

In the Big Leagues of family business leadership, we tend to excel during the good times because we are only throwing batting practice. But when it is game time and the playoffs are on the line, are we truly prepared to succeed? Are our plans aligned with authentic goals we have identified with the assistance of professionals who understand the game? Are we in top shape because we’ve put in the practice necessary?

With adherence to these elements in place, you will have the confidence to throw strikes in the bottom of the ninth. Even when the chips are down, as they are in today’s economic circumstances, you will not have to spend much time sweating. You will simply blast the ball through the strike zone!
 

By: Adam D. Orkin

Recently while riding through Atlanta’s Buckhead community, a large advertisement caught my attention. The ad claimed that the average weight of Americans has increased by 20 pounds over the course of approximately 40 years. The statistics were alarming and hit me right between the eyes. My mind raced. I found myself searching for answers. I asked myself, are we eating too much? Probably. Are we sitting too much? Definitely!

Today Americans are living a sedentary life. One of the reasons is the infrastructure of our major cities, the downtown district surrounded by suburbs. If you live in the suburbs you almost certainly have to drive because the goods and services you need are not within walking distance. Gone are the days when one can walk to the corner drugstore or supermarket. Others prefer to drive because they are concerned about their safety or simply just don’t have the time to walk.

This was not always the case. America was once a land of communities, where people shared common ground. They could walk to work. They could ride a bicycle to the doctor’s office. They could get ice cream down the street. And for the most part, they felt safe. Because they walked a lot, they were leaner and were healthier. Today, I sense Americans yearn for a return to simpler times. I decided to make a difference by helping to make that possible.

As real estate developers, we study how people live as part of our job. An exciting new trend in the development business is the rise of the Traditional Neighborhood Development, or “TND” in real estate jargon. What is a TND? A TND is a community designed specifically for those who will live and work inside of it. It is a microcosm of the way American communities used to be, but with a forward-looking sense of convenience, safety and healthy sense of life style. TNDs are evident across the country. In the Southeastern U.S., a good example of a TND and or a similar concept are communities like WaterColor, and Seaside in Florida, Vickery in Atlanta, and literal communities that inspired the TND concept such as Charleston, SC, Savannah, GA and Nantucket, MA.

The TND experience affords owners high-quality lifestyles through simplicity and focus on the community. Safe, attractive public spaces and green spaces are shared once again. Architectural controls keep the tone and quality of everything inside the TND consistent and beautiful. Lot sizes are compressed without compromising home size. This results in easy-to-maintain landscaping and home design flexibility. It also places the home closer to the street. In a TND, you’re going to see your neighbors more often… people simply come together. Community festivals are frequent occurrences. There are movies in parks and plenty of room for public buildings such as museums, churches and libraries. Bike trails, swimming facilities, tennis courts, and lots of green space prevail. Formal and passive gardens present terrific opportunities for a walk in the sun or a visit with friends.

TNDs are not the exclusive turf of new development. Often, we see TND concepts in renovation of areas once in utter disrepair. Uninviting places become beautiful places once again, and along with the renovation come security, commerce, positive growth and sense of community.

Will the introduction of TNDs solve all of America’s ills? Probably not. But this we can guarantee: for those in search of a simpler lifestyle and a return to the community-based environment that was once the hallmark of American culture, TNDs are worth investigating. We can’t turn back the pages, but we can take the best of what once was, apply modern technology and intuition, and offer something really special.

Adam D. Orkin is Founder and CEO of Orkin & Associates, LLC, an Atlanta-based real estate development firm. Among its diversified portfolio of residential and commercial properties, the firm specializes in smart growth and new urbanist concepts throughout the Southeastern U.S.

Mr. Orkin can be contacted at: adam@orkinandassociates.com