It could be said that Terry聽海角乱伦鈥櫬燾areer is one of a son rising through the family business. But though he鈥檚 one of South Florida鈥檚 most prolific builders who learned his trade early under his father鈥檚 guidance, the younger 海角乱伦 was on his own at 23 when his father died in 1971.
聽has since branded the family name and made an indelible mark across South Florida, especially Fort Lauderdale where he鈥檚 known as the catalyst that helped build its thriving downtown.
One of his first jobs was hanging the front door at law firm聽. Since then,聽聽helped develop a million square feet for聽聽and launched downtown Fort Lauderdale鈥檚 revival with the聽Sun-Sentinel聽building and his work with H. Wayne Huizenga on buildings for Blockbuster Entertainment and Republic Industries. His Corporate Park at Cypress Creek is considered one of the region鈥檚 first business parks.
In all,聽聽has developed some 43 million square feet across the region and into the Carolinas and Tennessee.
His battle with cancer has left the business leader with a new outlook on life. With son Ken as CEO and a succession plan in place,聽聽now enjoys more time with his grandkids and reflecting on his proudest moments in helping to transform Fort Lauderdale.
罢别谤谤测听厂迟颈濒别蝉, Chairman, 海角乱伦 Corporation
Age:听69
Birthplace:聽Cincinnati, Ohio
Residence:聽Fort Lauderdale
When did you know you wanted to be a builder?
As a kid, I was always building 鈥� tree huts, tying steel into foundations when I was 13, or building my first house at 20 years old. I laid the block, laid the trusses, sheeted the roof. I don鈥檛 think I was ready to run the company when my dad died [when I was] 23, but it was in my blood.
What鈥檚 been your greatest career accomplishment?
The Corporate Park put us on the map, but what I鈥檓 the most proud of is downtown Fort Lauderdale, being in the heart of all this, and getting ready to do the new聽聽building. It will be a 350,000-square-foot, iconic building and a 350-unit rental apartment building with an open-air amenity deck.
What do you believe is left for you to accomplish in your career?
We鈥檝e built a company that鈥檚 sustainable in different areas. We have 31 employees who鈥檝e worked for us for over 20 years. We have opportunistic areas that hopefully will build equity and value. What I鈥檇 like to know is when I do leave this company, I鈥檝e created a company that鈥檚 sustainable.
What do you appreciate most about the South Florida business climate?
The fact that it鈥檚 pretty open. We went to Atlanta with聽. People see you as competition. We went to Columbia, South Carolina. They wanted to protect their own people. You don鈥檛 see that here in South Florida.
If money were no object?
I鈥檇 like to have the opportunity to build some iconic buildings like you see in Dubai. We went to China and these buildings went up that made no economic sense but they were beautiful. The money we have doesn鈥檛 allow you to do that. We have to be market attuned. You can鈥檛 go blowing $5 million on the top of an office building. Hopefully,聽聽will be the closest we get to that statement in my career.
One person, one question?
Wayne Huizenga. I鈥檇 ask him what was the underlying theme of what made him as successful as he was. He was really loyal to his people, loyal to Fort Lauderdale. At one point, I was trying to get him to go to Sawgrass with Blockbuster. That could have been a lot cheaper [for him]. He bought the Mercedes City Center [in downtown Fort Lauderdale] and stayed here.
The one opportunity I let get away?
In the late 1980s, the city manager of Miami Beach called. It was right after we did the corporate park, and he asked us to get involved in the redevelopment of South Beach. We went by there when all the old people were still sitting on the porches on their lawn chairs and drugs were running rampant, and I said, 鈥淭his will never happen.鈥� Three years later, [I thought] what a mistake.
Special Feature by: Jeff Zbar
South Florida Business Journal