Tallahassee Democrat Article May 7,2006 • By C.E. Scott - Democrat Staff Writer
Tallahassee's 'stealth' builder : Robert R. Parrish still quietly building city's high-profile projects
Robert R. Parrish  |
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| Age: 51
Company: The Parrish Group, founded in 1983 Specialty: Commercial real estate construction Offices: President-elect of the Florida Homebuilders Association Hobbies: Flying, golf |
Robert R. Parrish has risen from bartender to a building baron who has quietly been reshaping the city's northeast side for more than 20 years. He blames his uncle for his success.
"My uncle in Augusta, Ga., got involved in a small way with another gentleman in building homes," said Parrish, 51, the founder of the Parrish Group.
"When I was in high school I used to go visit the job sites. I got the bug then."
Parrish wound up in Tallahassee in 1973, graduated from Tallahassee Community College and soon found himself framing houses during the day and tending bar nightly at Maxim's, among other places.
In 1980, he decided it would be easier to sell houses than frame them, so he went to work with Chip Hartung, who had just started a real estate company.
| THE PARRISH GROUP'S MAJOR PROJECTS INCLUDE |
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"He's Tallahassee's 'stealth' builder," Hartung said. "He's done a lot of work without calling attention to himself."
His client list is as lengthy as it is impressive. A.G. Edwards & Sons, Prestige Motorcar Gallery, Solution 6 North America, SummerBrooke Country Club, Infinity Motor Cars and Hunt Insurance Co. are just a few of the clients he's worked with over the past 15 years.
Back in 1980, Parrish also kept his bartending job, he said, "because I got paid every night. That didn't always happen with my day job."
Three years later, Hartung and Parrish decided to build houses together. Parrish formed the Parrish Group and the two built custom homes in some upscale northeast locations, including SummerBrooke, Golden Eagle and Hawk's Nest.
"We would buy a block of lots," Parrish said, "and then build custom homes."
One of the custom homes belonged to Doug Behrman, who co-founded the Super Lube Inc. franchise with John Lewis.
"He was building custom homes and he built my house for me on Miller Landing Road," Behrman said.
"After that, we sort of kept in touch and we became friends."
The friendship between Behrman and Parrish has blossomed into a business relationship.
Behrman spent two years researching land titles for Parrish's newest project, Regional Center, a three-building office complex near Centerville and Fleischman roads in northeast Tallahassee.
One building is complete and the other two in the center are under construction. All are devoted to office space, Parrish said, and scheduled to be occupied by the end of the year.
Companies that will make the new buildings home are the Florida Homebuilders Insurance Agency, the law firm of Messer, Caparello & Self and James D. Holley Associates, an accounting firm.
The project is one of two Parrish is working on right now. He says the total value of both is about $70 million.
"We've probably (leased) about 100,000 square feet already of the 300,000 square feet available out there," he said.
Parrish says in 1990, he began changing from custom homes to commercial building. He hasn't looked back.
He also has found time to work for various charity and church groups.
He was president of Tallahassee Habitat for Humanity board of directors in 1994 and oversaw a "blitz build' of a home that was sold to benefit the nonprofit group.
Parrish, a licensed pilot, hasn't been involved as much lately, but Lou Armesto, the executive director, said Parrish is "like an ambassador for us out in the community."
"People meet him and then call us wanting to help," she said. "He's and incredible guy. I don't know how he manages his time."
Linda Bond, a Tallahassee attorney who also has served as board president for Habitat, says even though Parrish is no longer directly involved in the organization, "he was willing to offer his assistance and his money."
"With Robert, it was just a matter of asking."
Behrman said Parrish "probably sifts through 15 projects a month." Anything that catches his interest, Behrman said, must have one overriding feature: Is it good for Tallahassee?
"He just loves Tallahassee," Behrman said. "That's not a façade."
"He doesn't want to have something that's going to be disliked by the community," Behrman said. "He wants to do things the community is proud of."
Parrish, whose father was in the U.S. Air Force, said he keeps his fondness for Tallahassee in mind when he's deciding on projects.
"I love Tallahassee, and I have so many good friends in this town," he said. "I get instant feedback wherever I go."
"If you want to develop in this community, it makes sense to work with the neighborhood and the municipalities," he said. "To me, it's common sense. There's nothing magical about that."
Parrish said, in general, the area's approach to growth has evolved into a good balance of environmental, ecological and population-driven growth that many other cities envy.
His own development philosophy is simple: "Stay with the need, develop smart and develop attractive."
He sees more growth for the city, especially in retiring baby boomers and increasing medical-care needs.
Parrish also says he has no aspirations to expand his company, even if it means turning down lucrative jobs.
The company has 12 full-time employees. Parrish declined to discuss company revenues.
"I've turned down opportunities to build outside of Tallahassee in the past three or four months," he said.
"I don't have any appetite to go beyond where I am now. If there is an issue, I can get to it in my car."