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It’s more of a struggle than ever to get consumers to part with their hard-earned dollars at a large shopping center or mall. But how can the owners of those large real estate properties expect to sweep up the profits if their parking lots aren’t well-swept? If store entrances aren’t free of trash and sidewalk stains? If greenbelts need mowing?

How can commercial real estate companies expect to light the way for their investors…when some of the lights in their mall parking lots aren’t working?

Adam Teckman knows firsthand the value in a well-maintained shopping area – and he now knows it from both sides of the property management equation.

Teckman used to be responsible for maintaining 3 million square-feet of shopping centers and malls for a large commercial development company based in Dallas. The anchor tenants in those properties were A-list companies – SuperTarget, Lowe’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney’s. It was a big job, and Teckman was depending on the kindness – and professionalism – of strangers.

“In managing a commercial property, you need a lot of people to help you, you need a lot of services done, performed by vendors, for any number of reasons, and you need them in timely and professional manners,” Teckman said. “And I just found that there just wasn’t a group out there that was that professional and on-time and responded well, and fulfilled a need for that.”

So Teckman decided to do it himself by co-founding Cobalt Real Estate Services, which bills itself as a one-stop shop for large property owners who need a variety of management services. Rather than dealing with a lot of smaller, independent vendors, Teckman says Cobalt can save companies money – in a challenging economy – by consolidating all those needs.

Cobalt’s crews – which are based at each site for 24/7 response – provide parking lot sweeping courtesy of a fleet of new trucks, along with landscaping, day porter services, handyman-type repairs, electrical/mechanical/plumbing needs and pressure washing. The company also provides regular reports to property managers.

“If you can consolidate with me, then I can make it so that I provide all your services for less than you’re paying for everyone else to be out there,” Teckman said. “My trucks, my crews, everyone’s on-site to provide all these services for you. Rather than have five to ten different people out there, you just have one.”

Teckman obviously knows there’s a need for this type of service, considering his previous experiences. But it’s still the biggest of entrepreneurial leaps; Teckman used to be based in an air-conditioned office working for one of the biggest development firms in the Southwest. Now he’s responsible for his own company, and sometimes runs a sweeper truck through North Dallas shopping center parking lots.

“To go from behind the desk to behind the wheel of a sweeper truck is definitely a change in pace, and certainly a change in life. But you know, it’s exciting for me,” he said. “I really like what I’m doing because I understand the value in it for people. I understand why they need me there and I think that’s satisfying – to know that I’m able to be someone’s solution for their problem, I think, is a really good thing and that’s really the whole basis for our company.”

And what about those smaller, independent vendors who might take a look at Cobalt’s shiny new sweeper trucks and the (obviously) cobalt-blue shirts and claim that Teckman’s company will overcharge for his services?

“It doesn’t cost anybody anything to be professional,” Teckman responds. “If you show up and you do a good job, you’re looking better for your tenants, you’re doing better work for them. It doesn’t cost me any more to run my sweeper truck or have my crews out there. If you’re already going to have the services done, I can do it for less and I can do it better. “

For more information, visit www.cobaltrealestateservices.com

Renay San Miguel:
If gold is where you find it, then a company called Cobalt is mining what it hopes is a motherload; right under shopper’s noses;  in fact, under their feet.  It’s more proof that entrepreneurial opportunities can be found in the most mundane of places.

Okay, it’s a shopping center.  You see a million of these all over the country.  Shoppers coming here into the parking lot, they may not realize if the parking lot is all that clean or not, if the grass is trimmed or the lights all work.  But there is one company thinking full time about large property maintenance.  And that company says a clean shopping center can help property owners clean up on the bottom line. 

Before he started being responsible for cleaning and maintaining commercial properties, Adam Teckman was helping to get them built.  He was in charge of management for a major shopping center development firms  portfolio of properties; all three million square feet of them.  Teckman knew that meant three million devil’s in the details for keeping those malls and shopping centers looking good and running smooth.  He calls it “high stakes curb appeal”. 

Adam Teckman:
The ultimate value for our property owner is “this is their investment”.  It’s similar to owning a home or car.  You need to maintain it regularly; you need to keep it clean to maintain its value.  

Renay San Miguel:
And how important is that in this particular economy? 

Adam Teckman:
Right now it’s of the utmost importance.  I mean tenants are doing everything they can to get people in the doors.  If you’ve got a place that’s somewhere a consumer like you or I don’t want to be, then they are not gonna go.  They are not going to spend their money and then it will come to a dead stop.

Renay San Miguel:
Frustration with finding reliable people to deal with maintenance details forced Teckman out from a cozy air conditioned office and into the cab of a sweeper truck and a new career direction as an entrepreneur.  As President of Cobalt Real Estate Services, he now leads a company that keeps malls and shopping centers cleaned and operational.  Cobalt offers property owners a one-stop, 24/7 on-site service; all those things consumers expect from a quality shopping experience.  Not just well swept parking lots but clearly striped and well lit lots.  Along with clean store entrances, manicured green spaces, services that work and look like new; that’s all part of Cobalt’s job description.  His new move puts Cobalt squarely in competition with a host of smaller independent vendors for porter services, landscaping, electrical work and they are all eager for work in a challenging economy.  But Teckman answers competition with consolidation; giving property owners once place to go for all of their needs.  Teckman may have traded in his white collar for a blue one, Cobalt blue to be exact.  But he says he’s bringing a white collar professional attitude to a traditional blue collar service.  And that, he believes, will help steer Cobalt to entrepreneurial success. 

And fresh off his time behind the wheel of that sweeper truck is Cobalt President and Co-Founder, Adam Teckman.  Thanks for your time.  You look pretty good and natural behind the wheel of that truck.

Adam Teckman:
Thank you.

Renay San Miguel:
When did you have your “ah-ha” moment?  We are all about “ah-ha” moments here at spark360.  When did you realize that “well maybe I’ve got a business here with what I want to do?”

Adam Teckman:
Well managing commercial property, you learn that you need a lot of people to help you.  You need a lot of services done and performed by vendors for any number of reasons.  And you need them in timely and professional manners and things like that when you’re dealing with tenants and have legal obligations and all of that.  And I found that there just wasn’t a group out there that was that professional and was on time and responded well and fulfilled the need for that.  And so I decided I would just go do it myself. 

Renay San Miguel:
Many, many business start this way but there had to have been some fright involved for you there.  Because you know what it’s like from one side of the desk in that business and now here you are trying to create something out of thin air.  How risky was this for you?

Adam Teckman:
Well, to go from behind the desk to behind the wheel of a sweeper truck is definitely a change in pace and certainly a change in life.  But, you know, it’s exciting for me.  I really like what I’m doing.  I understand the value in it for people.  I understand why they need me there.  And I think that’s satisfying.  To know that I am able to be someone’s solution for their problem, I think is a really good thing.  And that is the whole basis for our company.

Renay San Miguel:
You know how it is with some of the large property owners today with this particular economy; they are looking to cut cost wherever they can; they’re trying to trim back wherever they can.  Some of these large properties may have lost stores, maybe anchor stores.  How do you convince them that they need to spend money on what you provide?

Adam Teckman:
Well, they need to have certain services done just because they are legally obligated and they need to maintain their investments no matter what their budget is.  It’s in their best interest to keep that facility operational.  By doing that, you still need people working on your project.  Well, if you can consolidate with me, then I can make it where I provide all of your services for less than you are paying for everyone else to be out there.  My trucks, my crews; everyone is on site to provide all of these services for you, rather than have five to ten different people out there, you just have one.

Renay San Miguel:
I think it would make sense to some property owners but they might hear from the smaller independent vendors who are providing those services and have been for a while saying “look at this company with the bright blue shirts, they’ve got the brand, the logo and they’ve got these brand new sweeper trucks with the logo, their gonna cost you an arm and a leg”.  How would you respond to that?

Adam Teckman:
Well it doesn’t cost anyone anything to be professional.  If you show up and do a good job, you are looking better for your tenants, you’re doing better work for them; it doesn’t cost me any more to run my sweeper truck and to have my crews out there.  If you are already going to have the services done, I can do it for less.  I can do it better.  We can look at your entire portfolio and analyze what you’re spending and say “you know what; we can cut percentages off each one of these services if you let me do everything”.  And that’s the whole idea of consolidation with me.

Renay San Miguel:
Adam Teckman, Cobalt President and Co-Founder, thanks so much for your time.  Good luck with the company. 

Adam Teckman:
Thank you.

Renay San Miguel:
Another example of an entrepreneur getting “swept up” if you will in the spirit of innovation.  For spark360, I’m Renay San Miguel.