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Inc. Magazine Ranks Eliason Second-Fastest Growing Company for 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Inc. Magazine Ranks Wisconsin-based Eliason Incorporated as the Second-Fastest Growing Privately Owned Company in the U.S.

Commercial real estate investment firm exhibits 24,000% percent growth in the past three years

ST. GERMAIN, WI (August 20, 2008) — Inc. Magazine’s 2nd fastest growing privately owned company—with a 1st Place ranking on the Inc. list of Top Fifty Real Estate Companies as well—is a commercial real estate investment and financial services firm headquartered in the northern Wisconsin town of St. Germain. According to Inc. Publisher, John Koten, for more than 27 years the Inc. 500 has served as a benchmark for the most innovative, dynamic, and successful companies in the nation. Prior Inc. honorees have included Zappos, Intuit, GoDaddy and Oracle.

Posting impressive growth in excess of 24,000% from 2004 – 2007 and total 2007 revenue in excess of $205 million, Eliason’s roots stem from the $2,000 life-savings investment of John Eliason, an early twentieth-century Swedish immigrant miner and logger. Today Eliason Inc. is a family-owned real estate firm specializing in Tenant-in-Common (TIC) and 1031 Exchange opportunities, led by John’s two great-grandsons, David Eliason and Brian Eliason. The company’s $415 million nationwide portfolio includes more than 4,800 apartment units and 311,000 sq. ft. of retail space.

The secret to their success? “People. It’s absolutely our people,” David Eliason, President, Eliason Inc., states. “We have an incredible range of talent across the nation representing the best interests of our investors.”

Adds Brian Eliason, Chief Executive Officer, Eliason Inc., “That was the most important lesson we learned growing up in a family defined by real estate - work with the right people. And ‘right people’ always meant those who put the interests of the investors first, who would research a thousand properties and from that number pick one, and who would literally walk the floors of every property to make certain it was everything in person that it purported to be on paper.” 

Another key component of Eliason’s success has been its ability to anticipate real estate opportunities throughout its history.

·       In 1914, John Eliason purchased lakefront property then resold a small portion of it for a substantial profit.

·       During the 1960s, John’s grandsons, Donald and Richard Eliason founded Eliason Realty of the North and proceeded to grow it into the largest real estate brokerage in northern Wisconsin. Their model was to purchase existing resorts, improve the properties and sell them as the first condominium conversions in Wisconsin.

·       By 1974, Eliason entered its first major apartment partnership with a $200,000 equity investment in a $2 million apartment complex that later netted more than $3 million in profit.

·       Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Eliason apartment portfolio continued to expand.

·       In the 1990s, Eliason continued to assemble partnerships and began using the Tenant-in-Common (TIC) format for some of its investments.

·       In 2002, the advent of an IRS ruling allowing TIC properties to qualify as viable 1031 Exchange options allowed Eliason to capitalize on the investment initiatives it had in place and offer an expanded pool of commercial investment opportunities to investors around the nation.

·       2008 marks the year the company’s nationwide portfolio surpasses $415 million in value, with properties throughout the Sunbelt, Southeast and Midwest markets.

Jay Grooters, CEO, Eliason Real Estate Group, notes how technology has influenced investing and contributed to the phenomenal growth of Eliason. “With today's technologies, we can research, underwrite and understand potential investments more thoroughly than ever.”

Inc. reports that the Midwest again has the most Inc. 5000 companies on the list, but only 62 companies on the Inc. 5000 are not based in metropolitan areas. Taking note of this, Grooters adds, “That is another advantage technology has provided us – the ability to build personal relationships with our investors and representatives across the country. It used to be that the world of investing was located in metro hubs like New York or Chicago. Now, there are no such boundaries.” Adds Grooters, “We’re a family-owned company from a small town, which helps to build trust with our investors. We take that trust very seriously.”

As for the future of Inc’s. second-fastest growing company? “Steady as she goes,” notes Brian Eliason. “Our investment principles have served us and our investors well. Because of our geographically diverse portfolio, we’re in a good position to weather the current credit crunch. And the multifamily market maintains its potential for growth, so we’ll continue to search for properties in communities that show strong economic and demographic growth. And then pass that potential on to our investors.”

As for life in St. Germain? “Never better,” concludes David Eliason. “We’ve chosen to stay true to our roots and will remain a part of the community that gave rise to our success. The fact that the area has been welcoming visitors for more than a century confirms what we believe – the community has something to offer everyone. A strong economy with endless natural and recreational resources.”

Visit each of the following links for more information on the ranking:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080901/spotlight-david-eliason-and-brian-eliason-eliason-inc.html
http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2008/company-profile.html?id=200800020
http://www.inc.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/inc-5000-top-25-companies-by-growth_pagen_2.html

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About Eliason Inc.

Based in St. Germain, Eliason Incorporated is a real estate investment firm with a proven track record in real estate acquisition, financing, management and sales. The company’s principals have collective experience that covers all types of real estate with a combined transactional value in the billions of dollars. For more information, call 866-ELIASON (866-354-2766) or visit the company’s Website at www.eliasongroup.com.