Press release

Champaign-based company celebrates two decades as a leading full-service firm

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, April 16, 2008

Officially organized as an Illinois corporation in 1988, Ramshaw Real Estate has become one of Champaign-Urbana's leading real estate acquisitions, sales, management, and development firms.

More than half of Ramshaw's employees have been with the company since the '80s or '90s. Joe Phillips has led development efforts since 1996; Alex Ruggieri has managed brokerage services since 1989; and Todd Lienhart has provided property management and Jerry Ramshaw has overseen the entire operation as president since Day 1 in 1988.

"If you are going to succeed, you must have a solid foundation of people," company president Jerry Ramshaw said. "We have been very fortunate that our core group of people have grown with our company and truly enjoy working with each other. We've experienced very little staff turnover, which helps a great deal when it comes to efficiency, continuity, and productivity."

Ramshaw counts Trade Centre South (Wolfram Research) and Illini Plaza (Champaign County Chamber of Commerce) among its commercial management portfolio. The company manages more than 2,000 apartments on- and off-campus, including Stratford Residences, Crestview Commons, Prestwick Point, Ashton Woods, and Deerfield Woods. Ramshaw's major development projects have included Briarcliff subdivision, the 135-acre Turnberry Ridge subdivision, and Cobblefield Point, an upscale 118-unit condominium community.

Ramshaw's commercial brokerage division maintains a listing volume inventory of over $100 million. In 2003, the company became affiliated with a national commercial real estate investment firm, California-based Sperry Van Ness. This alliance provides wide national exposure for Ramshaw's listings by quickly getting information into the hands of independent brokers nationwide, effectively widening the circle of potential buyers. It also puts investment opportunities from around the country at the fingertips of SVN/Ramshaw agentsÑand their clients throughout Central Illinois.

"Our relationship with Sperry Van Ness has really given us the opportunity to reach a national client base," Ruggieri said.

The company stays actively involved in charity work, particularly with Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, Cunningham Children's Home, Crisis Nursery, Mental Health Center, Times Emergency Shelter, Central Illinois Foodbank, St. Matthew church and school, and Central Illinois Youth Football League. Ramshaw also serves as the corporate sponsor for the annual TIMES Center Golf Outing, and Jerry Ramshaw is on the board of the Champaign County Mental Health Center as president, and is a board member of the Economic Development Council.

"One thing we've always done, and that I might be most proud of, is keep involved with the community," Ramshaw said. "And not just the partners at the top of the organization, but people throughout the company. Our success in business is just that much more rewarding when it means making a bigger difference in our charitable and community efforts."