Our Story

Miami North Office Park, an office campus with four Class A office buildings, is located directly adjacent to Research Triangle Park.

The property was purchased in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis by a pair of long-time friends and commercial real estate developers, Mark Andrews and Earl Blankenship.

Mark and Earl had known each other since meeting at a real estate conference in the 1990s. The two immediately hit it off. They had much in common — similar backgrounds, shared values, and a passion for real estate.

Mark lived in North Carolina; Earl was 750 miles away in Tennessee. Even though they were busy raising families and making deals, they stayed in touch. They spoke regularly, bouncing ideas off each other and offering advice and support.

When the opportunity to partner on the Miami North property came about, they relished the chance to work together and strengthen their relationship.

With banks still reeling from the financial crisis, Mark and Earl could only borrow about half of the cost of acquiring the Miami North property. Undeterred, they raised the necessary equity from outside investors and completed the purchase.

With less than 20 percent of the office space leased, Mark and Earl went to work on attracting tenants even before they closed on the property. Within 18 months, the office park was fully occupied. They decided the time was right to sell. But when a planned sale fell through, Earl and Mark did right by their equity investors, paying back their initial investment with a 29% annual return and assuming the risk of maintaining the property themselves.

Mark and Earl worked hard to keep their tenants happy. They made capital improvements and kept the buildings leased. After owning the property for nearly a decade, the pair sold the Miami North Office Park and are now using the proceeds to invest in others.