The Ratkovich Company Announces Three Prominent New Hires To Accommodate Expanding Development Portfolio In The Greater Los Angeles Area

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles-based developer The Ratkovich Company announced today three prominent new hires to support its expanding development portfolio in the greater Los Angeles area. Brian Cornelius, Brian Falls and Philip Semon have joined The Ratkovich Company and will work closely with the established leadership team, effective immediately. The new hires will provide additional support around upcoming projects as the real estate market continues to rebound in Southern California.

Brian Cornelius joins The Ratkovich Company as Vice President of Retail and Senior Development Manager following a 12-year tenure with Caruso Affiliated. While at Caruso Affiliated, Cornelius was instrumental in creating the Urban Land Institute (ULI) award-winning Grove at the Farmers Market retail center in Los Angeles, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) award-winning Americana at Brand mixed-use development in Glendale, and most recently, the luxury 8500 Burton Way mixed-use residential and retail development on the edge of Beverly Hills. Cornelius also brings extensive retail development experience from Chicago, having served as Director of Design for the Viacom Retail Group, which opened its 26,000 square foot flagship Viacom Store on Michigan Avenue.

Brian Falls joins The Ratkovich Company as Project Manager. He will focus on planning, entitlements and community relations. Falls brings 15 years of experience working on various stages of planning, entitlements and development for notable Los Angeles-area projects including the NBC Universal 20-Year Evolution Plan, Campus El Segundo, the Wilshire Grand and Playa Vista. He is the one of the founders of the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Young Leaders program and has been a long-term active supporter and participant in the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles.

Philip Semon is the newest Assistant Development Manager at The Ratkovich Company. In this role, he will contribute to the Company's development and acquisition activities. Prior to joining The Ratkovich Company, Semon worked for Grunsfeld Shafer Architects, a Chicago-based architecture firm focused on the design of high-end single-family, multi-family, and non-profit developments.

"We are thrilled to welcome the newest members of The Ratkovich Company team. Their notable accomplishments in real estate development and architecture demonstrate significant industry expertise and will continue to strengthen our growing leadership team," said Wayne Ratkovich, founder and president of The Ratkovich Company. "We look forward to their contributions both to our company and the city of Los Angeles."

About the Ratkovich Company

The Ratkovich Company is a Los Angeles development company that engages in both new development and the imaginative reuse of existing buildings. The company has completed, or has under development, more than 13 million square feet of office, retail and industrial properties in Los Angeles County. The company is completing the repositioning and development of The Alhambra, a 45-acre mixed-use urban community in the city of Alhambra. The Ratkovich Company is currently redeveloping The Hercules Campus at Playa Vista, a landmark property comprised of 11 historic buildings, including the hangar where Howard Hughes' legendary Spruce Goose was built. The Hercules Campus includes 537,130 square feet of building space on over 1.2 million square feet of land. The company has won numerous awards for its restoration of historic landmarks, including the art deco Wiltern Theatre and adjacent Pellissier building, the iconic 31-story 5900 Wilshire in Miracle Mile, Chapman Market, and the city of Glendale's Alex Theatre. The James Oviatt and Fine Arts buildings were also both awarded national landmark status after successful renovations by The Ratkovich Company. For more information, visit http://www.ratkovich.net.

Media Contact:
Meg Lewis| Edelman for The Ratkovich Company| P: 323-761-6505|E: [email protected]

SOURCE The Ratkovich Company