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Oliver Companies is a privately held company with over 20 years of niche-market expertise in the lodging and hospitality segment of the commercial real estate industry. When you deal with us, you will likely be dealing directly with one or more of the principals—and a combined 125+ years of experience in the business—your business. Whether your project involves managing a current property, purchase of a new location, refurbishing an existing franchise property, or ground-up construction, we’ve been there, done that, and we have the success stories to prove it.
At Oliver Companies, we are bigger on the inside than we look on the outside. As a client, you get large corporation/large project experience and capabilities combined with small company personal service from the key players themselves. Our size makes us nimble and flexible; we can offer business arrangements to work as partners, co-investors, project construction managers, or property managers. Meet the players that define Oliver Companies:
KENT OLIVER
Chairman of the Board
Over a 31-year career, Kent has developed dozens of real estate projects, and still provides expert guidance to the development and management teams of the Oliver Companies.
COLLEEN ANDERSON
CFO
Starting at OCI in 2005, Colleen has been responsible for the overall financial strategy and direction of Oliver Companies. With 15 years of hospitality finance experience, Colleen's dedication has has been a factor in nearly every Oliver Companies venture. Responsible for building the accounting team, she now focuses on acquisition financing, investor relations, and asset management. Colleen has a degree in Accounting from the College of St. Scholastica.
JIM TONINATO
President, Kaizen Construction
Jim oversees all projects from new ground-up construction to franchise-required property improvements. He manages budgets and timelines to maximize efficiencies and minimize operational down-time.
KAREN WELNETZ
Director of Compliance
Karen is Director of Due Diligence for Oliver Companies, Inc. She is responsible for banking and owner contracts, as well as providing info and analysis to property ownership and management. Karen has been in the accounting field for over 20 years, where she has worked as a computer programmer in a major insurance industry, managed loan collections in the banking industry, and has held a commercial real estate license. She has also co-owned and managed the accounting department of her own successful art distribution company.
LORI OLAFSON, CID
Director of Design & Procurement
Lori creates plans and specifications, and ensures that a project is finished in accordance with the timeline and budget.
SETH OLIVER
CEO
Founder of OCI, Seth is 2nd generation construction and property management, honing his business management skills working in the family business. His current focus is on acquiring and developing additional income-producing properties. Seth has a bachelors in Business Management from the College of St. Scholastica. He is responsible for leading all management and development teams, and is the primary liaison for investor relations.
LINDA SARON
Chief Operating Officer
Joining Oliver Companies in 2018, Linda brings a high-energy style and more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry. With the dual titles of Director of Guest Services as well as Director of Operations, Linda is responsible for everything from the quality of training on-property to goal setting initiatives for leadership. She holds a Major in Marketing and Minor in Finance from Iowa State University, and has received numerous business awards during her career.
TOM JOHNSON
Vice President, Housing & Director of IT
With over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, Tom is responsible for the planning, procurement, implementation and support of technology initiatives across the entire portfolio. He also assists in the management of the multi-family real estate portfolio. Tom holds a BA in economics and business management from North Dakota State University.
MIKE KOKOTOVICH, CPA
Controller
Mike brings a wealth of financial management experience from his many years as a CPA and more recently as the director of finance for a large retail company. He adds tremendous value building out data analysis systems and bringss strong leadership to the accounting team. He holds an MBA from the University of South Dakota and and a BA in accounting from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
We make communities as much as the communities make us. At Oliver Companies, supporting our local network is a way of giving back to the enrichments given to us.
American Cancer Society
ALS Blizzard Tour
Hermantown Chamber
Lake Superior Zoo
Richard I Bong Veteran Memorial
Twig Hockey Association
Proctor Public Schools
Animal Allies Humane Society
East Girls Basketball Association