MRG Participates in Project Safeways
Posted in Press
Project Safeways, a pilot program designed to make apartment communities safer, has become a stand-alone nonprofit as a result of a $450,000 grant from the Plough Foundation, $150,000 from the city’s Gun Down plan, and contributions from MRG, LEDIC Management, and ALCO, the apartment management companies involved in the project. A total of 15 apartment communities will be included in the program that is adopting best-practice crime-fighting techniques used by other cities. These include a no-trespassing model, use of license readers to spot cars not registered with the complex, and real-time security cameras connected to the Memphis Police Department. Two LEDIC properties participated in a pilot of the program and saw a 30 – 80% reduction in crimes in several different categories.
Phyllis Betts, director of the Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action at husband Dr. Richard Janikowski, also at the University of Memphis, developed the Safeways mode, a data-driven process similar to the Memphis Police Department’s Operation Blue Crush.
According to Jimmy Ringel, MRG COO, participation in the program is a win/win. The obvious win is a safer community for residents but that also will translate into higher occupancy rates, which is good for property owners.
Tags: Makowsky Ringel Greenberg, Project Safeways
MRG Adds Bella Vista
Posted in Under Management
MRG recently assumed property management responsibilities for Bella Vista Apartments, a 432-apartment property located in Southeast Memphis. The property, with owners in Los Angeles, has current occupancy rates under 70%. The objective will be to quickly bring occupancy rates to a much higher level, something MRG has been able to do with Highland Chateau, a property we took over last May. When we assumed management responsibilities for Highland Chateau, the vacancy rate stood at just over 70%. Occupancy rates are now at 90%.
Tags: Bella Vista Apartments Memphis, Makowsky Ringel Greenberg
Leasing Idol Winner Announced
Posted in Awards
We’re proud to announce that Champion Hills at Windyke was selected as the 2012 Leasing Idol property in our 10th annual contest. Staff members include April Myers, property manager; Marnita Beach, assistant manager; and leasing consultant Jamie Maldonato. Dawn Barber is the district manager.
April Myers, Dawn Barber, and Marnita Beach. Not pictured: Jamie Maldonato.
The Leasing Idol program, developed by Makowsky Ringel Greenberg in 2003, recognizes the top leasing property. Properties qualify as finalists in the competition by achieving a score above 90% on mystery phone and in-person shops that are conducted throughout the year. Finalist properties then move on to the video-shop portion of the contest, where an on-site shop – including a full property tour - is videotaped and then judged by a “jury of peers” – all 70 property managers, assistants, and leasing consultants.
Congratulations also to the staff of The Westbury, the other finalist in the 2012 competition: Michele Young, property manager, Ashley Youngblood, assistant manager, and leasing consultants Ashley Higginbotham and Jamie Maldonato. (Jamie splits her time between our two winning properties!)
Tags: Apartments in Memphis, Leasing Idol, Makowsky Ringel Greenberg, MRG Memphis
MRG Big Winner at Diamond Achievement Awards
Posted in Awards
MRG was well represented at the recent Apartment Association of Greater Memphis’ annual Diamond Achievement Awards held the Kemmons Wilson Holiday Inn at The University of Memphis.
MRG’s 2012 Diamond Award Winners
District Property Manager Tara Werne was the chairperson of the event, which drew 550 people for the combination of cocktail hour, dinner, awards program, and dancing afterwards. We are very proud of Tara for her leadership in chairing the event, which took a tremendous amount of time over the past year. In addition, we are proud of our employees who served on the planning committee with Tara.
We are especially excited to announce that MRG associates won 8 awards during the evening, a new record for our company in the individual awards!
Our award winners are as follows:
Mark Scarborough, The Westbury: Maintenance Technician of the Year, 300 + Units
Mickey Johnson and Joe Johnson: Outstanding Maintenance Team, 300 + Units
Ashley Higginbotham, The Westbury: Top Shop of the Year
Aubrey Wilson, Eton Square: Leasing Professional of the Year, 1-299 Units
April Myers, Champion Hills at Windyke: Property Manager of the Year, 1-299 Units
Pam Anderson, MRG Corporate: Multi-Site Professional of the Year, 1,501 + Units
Champion Hills at Windyke: Outstanding Management Team, 1-299 Units
Champion Hills at Stonebridge: Outstanding Management Team, 300 + Units
Congratulations to all of our award winners!
Tags: Diamond Achievement Awards, MRG Memphis
Gore Receives IREM Award
Posted in Awards
Michele Gore, property manager of The Westbury, was awarded outstanding Accredited Resident Manager (ARM) by the Memphis chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) at their December year-end meeting. Michele is an active member of IREM.
The ARM designation is one of the most recognized certifications for site managers of small to mid-size residential portfolios, including those who manage conventional apartments, federally assisted housing, condominiums, single family homes and manufactured home communities.
The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) is an international community of real estate managers and the only organization serving both the multi-family and commercial sectors.
Congratulations Michele!
Tags: IREM, Makowsky Ringel Greenberg, Michele Gore
MRG Recognizes Outstanding Performers
Posted in Awards, General News, Special Events
Amy Antici, Property Manager of the Year, with COO Jimmy Ringel.
The MRG annual employee recognition event was held December 6 at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. The event has been held for the last 25 years as a way to recognize outstanding performance among the company’s nearly 200 employees as well as honor longtime employees for reaching service milestones of 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years.
This year’s outstanding performance recognition in seven categories went to the following employees:
Outstanding New Employee – Sydnea Ruffin, manager at the Plum Tree Apartments.
Property Manager of the Year – Amy Antici, Southcrest Apartments.
Assistant Manager/Leasing Profession of the Year – Libby Flanagan at Champion Hills of Stonebridge.
Groundskeeper of the Year – Theodis Christley, Champion Hills at Windyke.
Jimmy Dickson Maintenance Technician of the Year – Dexter Jones at the Monticello.
Outstanding Corporate Office Employee – Belinda Palmer and Gwen Allen were honored due to accomplishments in a newly added department at Corporate.
Established in honor of an employee who worked her way from a part-time clerk to District Property Manager, showing tremendous loyalty, drive until a heart attack took her life, the Pat Barker Award is MRG’s most distinguished award. The 2012 Pat Barker Award was presented to Donna Nelson for her excellent work and all around company enrichment.
A total of 29 employees were recognized for reaching milestones, including two 10-year employees; two 15-year employees and four 20-year employees.
Those recognized received a personalized plaque and monetary award and will be added to the MRG Honor Wall. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients.
Our annual “auction” of a collection of gift certificates donated by some of our vendors received a high bid of $475, which was matched by MRG, making a donation of $950 that went to the Church Health Center.
Tags: Apartments in Memphis, MRG Memphis
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