Our in-house expertise in site selection, due diligence, permitting, pre-construction, and delivery afford our clients and customers an unparalleled development experience. Our relentless commitment to quality and customer service has helped us build long-term relationships with those we work with, from small one-owner development projects to large national brands. Here's the team behind Concept Development.
Brian founded Concept Companies in October 2004 with Concept Construction. After successfully completing numerous residential, commercial, and industrial projects in various parts of the U.S., Brian began investing in real estate, which led to the creation of Concept Development in 2009. Since then, Brian has been responsible for developing over 300 commercial projects in Florida totaling over approximately 2 million square feet. Brian is a licensed General Contractor in multiple states, Florida Roofing Contractor, and Florida Real Estate Agent.
Matt joined Concept in 2009 as Director of Construction. After three years at that position, Matt transitioned into Director of Development. Matt’s extensive construction knowledge is an invaluable asset. He has a keen eye for recognizing key development issues in the planning phase complemented by the knowledge of how to properly resolve issues before they become real problems. He is a licensed Florida Building Contractor and Real Estate Agent. Matt oversees and has an active role in site selection and presenting properties to clients for approval and serves to ensure that projects stay on their critical paths through the acquisition and permitting/entitlement process.
Seth joined Concept in 2016 as Director of Development. With a Master of Building Construction and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Florida, Seth has experience on all sides of the real estate development process. As a developer, consultant, and broker, Seth brings 20 years of commercial real estate experience to the team. Over his career, Seth has managed over $675 million of commercial real estate development volume across a broad geography. Member: ICSC, Urban Land Institute, Leadership Florida, UF Bergstrom Council, Licensed Real Estate Broker (FL)
Sean joined Concept Companies in 2014 as a Project Manager within the construction division. Since that time Sean rose to a Senior Project Management position that oversaw the commercial retail side of Concept Companies. In early 2020, Sean transitioned into the Development Department and began a management role that entails ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget by handling all aspects from due diligence in pre-construction up to handoff to the client. Recently, Sean has been promoted to the role of Senior Director of Development and Construction. His attention to detail and ability to adapt to unforeseen issues has been crucial to the completion of over 100 projects during his time at Concept. Sean is a licensed General Contractor in the state of Florida and has a Masters Degree from the M.E. Rinker School of Construction Management at the University of Florida.
Tiffany completed a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from the University of Florida. Tiffany brought 11 years of preconstruction experience including high profile work at hospitals, theme parks and casinos across the state and country to the Concept team in early 2020. She was in the role of Vice President of Preconstruction for the Theory Construction team overseeing their design-build, multi-site, life science and commercial projects. She has recently transitioned to Senior Director of Development for Concept Development overseeing our custom tenant builds and self-development work.
David joined the Concept team as Director of Multifamily Housing and Hospitality and will oversee The Progress District project, specifically The Convergence area. He has over 25 years of experience in Real Estate, most recently as the Director of Real Estate at Viking Companies. He was responsible for land acquisitions, land development, design and the underwriting of student and market rate multifamily developments.
As Managing Director of Real Estate & Development at Concept Companies, Rob Whitmire leads acquisition and development efforts for build-to-suit clients including Dollar General and Concept's Early Childhood Education division. He manages a team of Real Estate Directors responsible for site selection, contract negotiations, preliminary site due diligence and presentation of BTS opportunities to their respective clients. Prior to joining Concept in 2020, Rob was heavily focused on commercial real estate brokerage throughout the southeast, closing over $200 million of transactions widely varied across the real estate spectrum. Rob graduated from Emory University's Goizueta Business School with BBA and MBA degrees focused on management, marketing and entrepreneurship.
James Holt serves as the Managing Director for Real Estate + Development for Concept Companies and works in market analysis, site selection, and negotiation through to project coordination for clients and projects spanning a diverse spectrum of industries. James has been a Business Executive with over 22 years of experience in M&A and Private Equity, and through this has worked across various real estate functions, completing more than $100 MM in development and more than $100 MM in direct family office investment.
Lindsey is a graduate of the University of Florida and has been a licensed Building Contractor in Florida since 2005. She has a wide range of experience within both residential construction and commercial development. Lindsey's projects have included single family residential, student housing, multifamily market rate apartments, office, retail, and mixed-use development throughout Florida.
Before joining Concept Companies as the Director of Science & Technology Ecosystems, Kyla served as Executive Director for the WT Enterprise Center. The WTEC is a regional business incubator, technology accelerator and coworking space in Amarillo, Texas. Her background includes experience in developing programs around entrepreneur support, strategic planning, marketing, operation management, coaching founders, and working with local, state, and national partners and stakeholders. Kyla holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with an emphasis in advertising/public relations and a Masters of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University. She is a member of the International Business Incubation Association (InBIA), and serves as a board member for SXSW Pitch and the Global Accelerator (GAN) Hubs.
Eric began his career in commercial real estate in 1997. Prior to joining Concept Companies in 2013, Eric specialized in residential and commercial land development in addition to commercial brokerage. He has served as Director of Real Estate at Concept with a primary focus on site selection and land acquisitions. Eric was instrumental in getting over 150 Dollar General build-to-suit deals completed in his first ten years with Concept Companies. In 2023, Eric joined the Early Childhood Education division, and is taking on new territories nationwide. Eric has been a relentless and consistent contributor to the Concept Companies team. Always wanting to improve and better those around him, Eric serves on the Employee Engagement Committee in order to foster a culture of comradery, inclusion, diligence, and fun.
Chad Appell is an experienced Project Manager with a passion for commercial and civil construction. Chad began his career in commercial construction management in 2011 with Concept Companies' Construction division. In 2020, Chad made the move to Central Florida to explore the civil construction industry. He spent 2 1/2 years as a project manager in civil site development, where he gained invaluable experience managing complex projects in challenging environments, before returning to Concept Companies in 2022 to lead our multi-site development and construction team as the Development Operations Manager.
Ashley has been with Concept Companies since graduating from the University of North Florida in 2018. She is a licensed Florida Real Estate Sales Associate, Commercial Drone Pilot, and Florida Notary. Ashley is actively pursuing an MBA from the University of Louisiana and graduates in December of 2023. Her future goal is to obtain a brokerage license. Outside of work, Ashley is a competitive athlete in multiple disciplines and a dedicated Navy military spouse.
Brandon started in commercial real estate as a broker with Colliers International working out of their London office while attending the London School of Economics & Political Science. The team focused on mixed-use office assets between London, Paris, Prague, and Vienna which laid his foundation for being able to learn and adapt to new markets quickly and efficiently. After graduating from LSE, Brandon moved back home to San Francisco and continued his brokerage career between capital markets in California, Washington, and Nevada. He switched his focus to institutional multifamily assets, effectively broadening his scope of commercial properties. When the Covid crisis struck, he saw it as an opportunity to relocate from California and eventually landed in Jacksonville to be closer to family.
Lauren Denny is a Real Estate Director at Concept Companies with expertise in site selection and land acquisition development for Early Childhood Education users. Since joining Concept Companies in July 2021, she has established a reputation for identifying prime locations and negotiating favorable deals for her clients. Lauren aspires to become a licensed real estate broker and is committed to continuing her education in business to enhance her skills and provide even greater value to her clients.
Patrick Sullivan is a highly skilled professional with a background in commercial real estate development and construction, complemented by a law degree (JD) with real estate concentration. With a strong understanding of small business operations, he has a proven track record of creating and implementing effective solutions. Patrick's areas of expertise include executive support for operational needs, business process management, the full deal cycle for property acquisition, leasing, and management, legal and financial preparation/review, and portfolio management. He is a self-starter with an excellent work ethic and unwavering ethics, demonstrating adaptability in handling ad hoc tasks. Patrick is currently a Real Estate Director at Concept Companies, where he supports the Development Team in strategic acquisitions and growth of their Science, Technology, and Healthcare Division. Patrick is a Juris Doctor graduate of the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and is admitted to the Florida Bar Association.
Richard Saltos was born in Ecuador and moved to Western Maryland at the age of 7. With a lifelong passion for real estate, Richard began his career in residential sales before transitioning to commercial development in Baltimore. With over seven years of experience in the industry, Richard has become an expert in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities for growth and development. His dedication to providing exceptional service to clients has earned him a reputation as a trusted and knowledgeable resource for our clients.
Luis joined Concept Companies in 2023 and is a trusted professional with a successful international career. Luis is recognized for developing and implementing projects for different Real Estate Developers and Manufacturing Organizations in South America and the United States. He has a strong record of identifying areas needing improvement, Strategic Planning and Project Management.
Sara holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and earned her Masters Degree in Information Systems. Sara joined Concept Companies in 2022 with 6 years of experience in Project Management both nationally and internationally.
