Business

Movers & Shakers: Brandon Champeau

December 21, 2014 at 8:00PM

A look at the people behind the numbers in area business:

BRANDON CHAMPEAU United Properties

Title: Vice president

Age: 33

Brandon Champeau is leading industrial development and investment efforts as a newly promoted vice president at United Properties.

Champeau said his goal is to add to the company's investment portfolio in the busy industrial sector. "A lot of companies are looking for more efficient space and larger space to accommodate their growing businesses," Champeau said.

Champeau's projects include overseeing redevelopment of the Midway Stadium site. With the St. Paul Saints moving to a new Lowertown stadium, their longtime home will make way for a mixed-use industrial project.

"The ability to put up a new modern building in that area is a rare opportunity," Champeau said. "We've got enough interest from some fairly large users that it could turn into a headquarters-type location."

In addition to his work at United Properties, Champeau will lead the public policy committee of the Minnesota chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, through the next legislative session.

Champeau joined United Properties in 2006. He previously was in the retail brokerage group now known as Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq. He has a degree in entrepreneurship and finance from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.

United Properties, based in Bloomington, specializes in commercial real estate development and investment. The Hamm family, of brewing fame, formed the company in 1916. The Pohlad family acquired United Properties in 1998.

Q: What's prompted your industry involvement at the legislative level?

A: I've seen firsthand how important it is that we continue to be a leader in advocacy for our industry and for our tenants. If we're not communicating our stance and how important certain issues are to us, then we're on the menu for something when the Legislature is going to pass it.

Q: Why should companies that want to expand or build work with United Properties?

A: We've been here for a long time, and the backing of the Pohlad family gives our clients and others the confidence that we can do what we say we're going to do, and we'll be here to do it. We're a long-term owner of real estate and take a long-term approach. Our clients like the fact that a relationship with us lasts for many years.

Q: What are some of your other projects?

A: One that's been fun to work on as a university alum is the purchase of the Days Inn on the University of Minnesota campus. We're operating it and just renovated it. We agreed to operate it for some period of time, but we're also taking a patient and long-term approach to a redevelopment plan.

Todd Nelson