Hilco Real Estate Group to Formalize and Step-up Acquisitions of Real Estate, Property Loans and REO Assets

NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Neil R. Aaronson, CEO of Hilco Real Estate, LLC, (“HRE”) announced today the launch of Hilco Real Estate Acquisitions Group (”HREAG”) to originate, underwrite and acquire assets across a broad range of property classes and all stages of financial and operational health, including those in workout, foreclosure and/or REO. Ronald M. Lubin has been named to lead the initiative. Joining Mr. Lubin will be senior executives Edmund H. Terry, who will manage the long-term investment portfolio, and Roberto Perez, who will manage the shorter-term opportunity investment portfolio.

“Hilco Real Estate has long been an opportunistic buyer of retail, industrial and commercial properties. In fact, we have closed on four properties in just the past few months,” said Mr. Aaronson. “The formal launch of our acquisitions group will enhance our ability to originate and structure deals from a broader range of sources, including banks, insurance companies, investment trusts, corporations, individual investors and owners of properties in need of “rescue capital.”

HREAG will focus on finding low cost basis opportunities where a substantial upside can be realized through Hilco’s distressed debt, asset and property management expertise. HREAG seeks to acquire or finance assets in the form of fee simple transactions, distressed mortgage notes, lease designation rights, distressed bridge loans, DIP loans, sale lease-backs and assets requiring development (with a qualified JV operational partner). Assets will primarily be situated within the United States. Acquisition capital will come from various sources, including Hilco and investor partners selected specifically for each transaction.

“We have the experience and resources needed to identify, structure and close transactions, maximize intrinsic asset value, and ultimately market and sell an asset,” said Ron Lubin. “Our targeted acquisitions will primarily focus on industrial and retail. However, we also will look at office, multi-family, mixed use, hospitality, and large scale residential developments. We will seek favorable returns on equity commensurate with the desired risk profile of each investor partner.”

Mr. Lubin, a senior executive with Hilco Real Estate, LLC, joined Hilco in 2008. He had been Managing Director of Crystal Capital, where he led the real estate debt and equity investment business. Previously, for 24 years, he had been in various senior level real estate finance groups within Bank of America and its predecessors, including Shawmut Bank where Mr. Lubin ran workout and OREO.

Edmund H. Terry also joined Hilco Real Estate 2008 as a senior executive, coming from Crystal Capital where he, too, was a Managing Director. Earlier, Mr. Terry had been with NewStar Financial, where he was responsible for commercial real estate structured product origination and underwriting. He had also been with OneAmerica Financial Partners, Fleet Bank and Shawmut Bank, where he was co-head of the commercial real estate workout division.

Roberto Perez joined HRE in 2007 as a portfolio manager. Since then, he has been actively engaged in originating and closing asset acquisitions. Mr. Perez began at HRE managing the company’s own investment portfolio, which totaled more than $150 million in asset value. Prior to Hilco, Mr. Perez was with U.S. Equities Realty, where he was part of the tenant representation team. He also founded a residential real estate investment firm and a healthcare recruiting firm, both of which he sold before joining U.S. Equities.

HREAG and HRE are part of the Hilco organization, a world leader in distressed and healthy asset valuation, monetization and advisory services. In real estate alone, HRE has acquired and/or helped clients and investor partners monetize nearly $4 billion in real estate assets.

About Hilco Real Estate

Hilco Real Estate, LLC [www.hilcorealestate.com] is based in Northbrook, IL, a suburb of Chicago. The company helps businesses improve leverage and cash flow by repositioning and restructuring their real estate commitments. HRE is focused on optimizing real estate value in the shortest period of time. Core competencies include strategic advisory and consulting services, owned portfolio disposition, lease portfolio sales/assignments, lease termination, lease renegotiation, leasing/subleasing, sale of non-core owned assets, sale/leaseback transactions, and fee and appraisals for leased and owned assets. HRE has acquired and/or helped clients and investor partners monetize nearly $4 billion in real estate assets. HRE is a unit of Hilco Trading, LLC, [www.hilcotrading.com] a world leader in valuation, monetization and advisory services involving all classes of tangible and intangible assets.

Hilco Real Estate, LLCRichard L. KayeExecutive Vice President
847-418-2711
[email protected]

Source: Hilco Real Estate, LLC