An inspiring development

By Mike Beas

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Tony Alderson (left) and Chris Hoffee (right) of Alderson Commercial Group in Greenwood using past experience to grow in the future

The school of hard knocks doesn’t offer a variety of majors, field a football team or hand out diplomas. There aren’t dorms, much less a fraternity row. Yet perseverance, the school’s one prevailing characteristic, is the solidest of cornerstones.

Tony Alderson counts himself among the school’s proud alums. Not that there are any chummy group photographs out there to validate this claim, just an abundance of life experiences.

“I’m technically a sophomore at Purdue,” laughs Alderson, President of Alderson Commercial Group in Greenwood, a real estate development business he founded in 2007. Referring to his start in commercial real estate development for a previous employer, Alderson adds, “When I got up at 4 in the morning and was shoveling snow, I hated my job. Plunging toilets. No fun. But I climbed, and I wanted more responsibility.”

Though 44, Alderson is also 51, as in 51-percent owner of the company. Meanwhile, Chris Hoffee, 32, the group’s Vice President, is 49-percent owner. Together they work, each man feeding off the other’s unique skillset for the overall betterment of the company.

Twelve-year age gaps at times can serve as a numerical stumbling block when it comes to professional relationships, particularly in regards to dual ownership of a specific business. Yet if the invisible generational bubble separating Alderson from Hoffee is generating disorder, the two men camouflage it splendidly.

“I’m the old gray one in the group,” laughs Alderson, who prior to 1988 had yet to discover his niche in the work world, having sold appliances, waterbeds and lumber at various junctures. “Chris brings focus and drive to our company. I met him when he was 25, and the guy was a bulldog. He just tore into projects, so I asked him to partner with me in 2007.”

Hoffee’s diploma was earned as a civil engineering major at Purdue University. Conversely, Alderson’s background, while not necessarily suitable for a rectangular frame, is one he takes immeasurable pride in.

“The school of hard knocks gives me perspective, and I love that education,” said the 1984 Center Grove High School graduate. “When you get out of the school of hard knocks, you’re street smart.”

Throughout his real estate development career, Alderson has overseen construction, developed sites, managed building design, supervised and managed properties, overseen financing, branding and marketing and much, much more. He’s made mistakes, dusted himself off, learned from them and moved on as a wiser individual.

Whereas Alderson is the immaculately dressed one, Hoffee is blue jeans and cowboy boots all the way. Asked if he owns a suit, just one, Hoffee, smiling, insisted he doesn’t. Ties are a different story. Hoffee owns one, though Alderson jokingly claimed it’s a clip-on.

Such barbs fail to perturb Hoffee, who realized a long time ago there is nothing GQ about what he does. Hoffee has a decade of field engineering and project management experience tucked away, officially beginning his post-Purdue work career with a four-year run at Hagerman Construction in Fort Wayne.

Like Alderson before him, Hoffee learned on the go.

“One of the benefits is that I was thrown in the trenches. My mentor, Emil Bowen, gave me the perspective of going out and learning with the guys,” remembered Hoffee. “I spent many a winter on roofs shoveling snow, pouring concrete, setting floors. But what you earn is their respect.”

Talk to Alderson and Hoffee long enough and it’s evident there are two slogans that best pinpoint what Alderson Commercial Group is about: “Building Business from Business” and “We Create a Business Card with Every Job We Do.” Word is spreading. The group has helped medical, office and dental businesses of all sizes locate and develop the best site for them, and that includes finishing new office space, remodeling existing space or building a new facility.

In both 2008 and 2009, Alderson Commercial Group totaled $5.5 million in construction sales, impressive numbers for a new business working in a down economy. The objective for 2010 is $6.5 million. Alderson Commercial Group presently employs six people, including Alderson and Hoffee, though 10-15 is realistic in the coming years.

“We’re a company that develops, and we get residual income off of that,” said Alderson. “What makes us strong as a team is that we hire people who have multiple skillsets. This business model works.”

Alderson admits to feeling gratification when seeing his surname taking up residence on shirts, coffee mugs, notepads, coasters and — chew on this for a moment — packages of gum. Hoffee has no problem with this whatsoever, though he never shies away from butting heads with Alderson should opinions pertaining to a certain project vary.

“We’ve had some late-evening discussions between the old man and the young man,” laughed Alderson. “When I step in to take the reigns, Chris doesn’t hand them to me willingly. I have to yank them from him.”

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