A proud member of the Hilton Advisory Council.
WHO WE ARE
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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:
SETH OLIVER, CEO
Oliver Companies Who We Are
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.
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
GIVING BACK
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SETH OLIVER | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Seth was raised in a construction and real estate family and his experience started during his high school years. Seth’s father was in the midst of several large local projects and enlisted Seth's weekends and summers. During that time, Seth learned everything he could from organizing years of paperwork to running a jackhammer on site. In 2003 Seth consolidated the Oliver hospitality business from his father and partners into Oliver Companies, Inc. In the first 5 years of operations, the company grew from 7 hotels earning $8.5 million in room revenue to 16 hotels earning over $30 million in room revenue. In 2007, Seth started the construction division (Kaizen Companies) within Oliver Companies, and in 2017, when Kaizen Companies revenues overtook that of Oliver Companies, Seth spun out Kaizen into its own company. Seth is also the lead investor in VIP FF&E, a Chicago-based interior design and procurement company that subsequently acquired Boston Trade Interior Solutions. Throughout Seth’s career, he has infused core principals of continuous improvement and honoring of those who helped get him this far. Living under those principles, Seth built a 2,000 – plus member team that was able to expand the Oliver Companies portfolio and increase operational excellence. In 2017 Hilton sought out Seth to join their owner advisory board. Seth received his undergraduate degree from The College of St. Scholastica with a major in Business Administration.
COLLEEN ANDERSON | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
As Chief Financial Officer for Oliver Companies, Inc., the hotel management division, and Kaizen Companies, Inc., the development, design and construction division she is responsible for the fiscal management aspects of the company. She is responsible for cash and asset management of existing properties and the physical and financial analysis of potential properties to add to the company portfolio. She is responsible for obtaining financing for acquisitions and existing projects. Responsible for debt compliance, investor relations and communications. Colleen has a degree in Accounting from the College of St. Scholastica along with over 20 years of accounting experience, 15 of those in the hospitality industry. In her spare time Colleen enjoys spending time with her three children and enjoys boating, kayaking, traveling, cooking and gardening.
ELLEN SUTTON | GENERAL COUNSEL
As General Counsel for Oliver Companies, Inc., Ellen advises and supports the company’s various entities and officers on a wide variety of legal issues, primarily focusing on contracts.
Ellen holds an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Mount Saint Vincent and a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. Ellen has previously worked for law firms in Manhattan, gaining extensive experience representing institutional lenders, REIT’s, buyers, sellers and developers in complex commercial real estate transactions.
Outside of work, Ellen is an avid cook, baker, and walker, and enjoys volunteering in her community.
AMY JOHNSON, ED.D, M.A.M. | DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
Amy’s focus is on the corporate entities and employees, corporate websites, collateral as well as community development. Amy graduated from the University of St. Thomas with her Doctorate of Organization Development and Change. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Management with an emphasis in Change Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management with a minor in Finance from the College of St. Scholastica. She is also a trained professional coach. Amy brings with her a background in organization development, business development, human resources, and higher education. Amy is passionate about employee satisfaction and engagement. For fun, she loves to sing, run, and horseback ride!
BRITTANY OLIVER | CORPORATE FACILITATOR
Brought up in an entrepreneurial and real estate family, Brittany has continued to resonate with both of those tracks throughout her careers. Graduating with a decorated Business Entrepreneurship degree from the University of St. Thomas, she felt a strong need to escape the frigid Minnesota winters and moved south the day after graduation. In North Carolina, Brittany started a part-time job at a nightclub having always had a passion for dance and music, not realizing it would be the beginning of a 14-year career in the nightclub business. The culmination of that career path was the design, build-out, and ground up staffing, choreographing, marketing, and daily operations of running a successful ‘Coyote Ugly style’ nightclub of her own. Brittany then shifted gears and joined her family in their various companies. She started at Oliver Management Service, managing HUD-subsidized and Market-Rate multi-family housing along with commercial properties. During her five-year tenure with OMS, she realized gains in overall occupancy from 87% to 95%, increased NOI by 36% and Net Cash Flow by 232% within four years, while simultaneously streamlining and focusing the portfolio. In tandem, she obtained her real estate license and had multiple successful transactions both residentially and commercially with the local brokerage CMRA. Brittany continues to enjoy her additional passions of travel, tiny living, micro business, self-sustainability, and her inordinate love of pigs
ZIGGY HALLGARTEN | ASSOCIATE
Ziggy works as an Associate with Oliver Companies. He is responsible for assisting with investor and lender relations, asset management, and assisting with acquisitions and dispositions. Ziggy has a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in New York. He has experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry including brokerage, consulting, and debt origination. Before coming to Oliver Companies, Ziggy most recently worked as a Senior Analyst targeting new acquisitions and asset managing a portfolio consisting of over 1,600 keys. He loves to spend time with his family and friends, play golf, and watch sports. He especially enjoys all watersports, specifically kiteboarding, surfing, and snowboarding.
KAREN WELNETZ | CORPORATE SECRETARY, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Karen’s area of responsibility is broad including coordination of information with legal on development/purchase/sale of hotels, analysis of loan docs for operations, lender compliance reporting, bank account setup/security, ownership project requests, and internal operational data requests.
Karen has been in accounting and banking for over 15 years-with over 13 years in hospitality. Her previous position with Oliver Companies was as staff accountant. She has studied and worked as a computer programmer/analyst and a collections officer; and has also been a business owner.
Karen has volunteered with United Way, Thanksgiving dinner at the DECC, church and at her children’s activities.