Brad Cox serves as Senior Managing Director for Trammell Crow Company, where his primary focus is raising capital, setting investment strategy, creating deal flow, and overseeing the day-to-day activities for the Los Angeles Business Unit. Trammell Crow Company is a 65 year national development company, a wholly owned subsidiary of CBRE, with offices in 15 cities.
The Los Angeles division portfolio currently includes $400 million of in-process development including 102 acres of industrial development in Los Angeles, Carson and La Verne, medical office buildings for USC, mixed use office in Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, and multi-family developments in Santa Monica.
Cox is also responsible for overseeing a regional portfolio of 4.5 million square feet of premier office properties, including the landmark Century Plaza Towers, 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, and The Water Garden in Santa Monica.
He is the chairman of the Santa Monica Alliance and the incoming 2013 Chairman of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as Chairman of the Los Angeles Business Council Institute.
As incoming chairman of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce for 2013/14 on June 12, what is your involvement with The Chamber and what do you see as your role moving forward?
I have been a member of the Chamber for the last five years, three as a Board Member. Two of the five years I have served as the Chairman of the Santa Monica Alliance. As the incoming Chair of the 2013/2014 Board, my role is to continue to work with the business community to ensure Santa Monica remains a vibrant, healthy, and profitable business climate for our members. We represent over 850 members employing 10,000 plus people in the City. We must have successful businesses in order to thrive. The connectivity between residents, business and government is critical to a healthy city.
What is your role with Trammell Crow and what are some of the company’s projects you are excited for in Santa Monica and why?
I am the Senior Managing Director of the Trammell Crow Company Los Angeles office, one of 15 offices Trammell Crow has across the country. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of CBRE and have been in business 65 years, 32 years in Southern California. We are a community-based developer working in many cities in Los Angeles County and have been active in Santa Monica for the last six years with two projects, 3401 Pico Blvd. and 301 Ocean Ave. We also represent the institutional owners of The Water Garden in the management and leasing of the project. We have been active in supporting many Santa Monica charities and the school bond initiatives as a good corporate citizen.
Santa Monica is a unique seaside environment offering businesses the opportunity to have their employees live and work in a hub of progressive thinking where business leaders, researchers, academic partners, community leaders and civic government collaborate to create a business community of scenery and substance. It is my job as the leader of the Chamber to ensure businesses in the City continue to thrive and succeed.
You have been chair of the Santa Monica Alliance since it was created two years ago, a partnership between the City of Santa Monica, the Chamber, and community stakeholders to attract, retain, and grow business. What benefit has this had for the City and why is it an important initiative to have?
Prior to our formation of the Santa Monica Alliance, Santa Monica had a regional perception as a difficult place to conduct business. In partnership with the City leadership and staff, we have worked to greatly improve and expedite the process and procedures for business to locate and expand in the City. Businesses in the City of Santa Monica contribute well over 50 percent of the operating revenues of the General Fund and business is a key reason why the City of Santa Monica has the capability to deliver high quality public services to the community at large. The Alliance is focused on ensuring the City maintains this leadership position in attracting and retaining business. The City leadership and staff have been successful in the last two years in achieving this goal.
You are Los Angeles Business Council Institute chairman. What advantage do you have from having a broader regional business perspective and how can that benefit the Santa Monica community in your role as Chamber chairman?
The residents of Santa Monica sometimes forget a regional perspective is important in working to solve local policy issues. We are a large community of 20 million people in Southern California and we all should be working together to address issues of importance. In my role at LABC, we have taken a leadership role on issues that are important not only to Los Angeles, but Santa Monica and the other 88 cities in Los Angeles County. The LABC has been successful in leading Los Angeles to become the Greenest Big City in America. We pushed the City of Los Angeles to establish policy and implement sustainability in the design and construction of all new buildings in the City, in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the largest Solar program in the country. I plan on bringing a similar long-term view to help the businesses in the City of Santa Monica work with the local residential and civic community to maintain Santa Monica’s quality of life.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with the Santa Monica community?
Santa Monica is one of the most dynamic markets in the country with a highly educated, diverse, and creative community enjoying a wonderful quality of life. Santa Monica has an engaged and vocal group of constituents where every stakeholder’s opinion is valued and respected. In my role as Chairman of the Chamber Board, I look forward to working with the community to ensure Santa Monica remains a healthy and thriving community.
