Record Year for the Corporate Challenge!

This Year's Corporate Challenge brought in 77,432 pounds of food donations for the River Bend Foodbank.  This amount is a new record, and NAI Ruhl & Ruhl Commercial Company is happy to have been a a part of it.  Several companies participated in the challenge, but there is always room for more. If your company is interested in  becoming a part of this great tradition, contact the Student Hunger Drive office at 563.359.9389 or or studenthungerdrive@gmail.com.

Shop Talk: 31 Expense-Slashing Solutions

Original article by Kylie Wroblaski in Buildings Magazine September 2010

Originally printed in Buildings Magazine, "Shop Talk: 31 Expense-Slashing Solutions" discusses best practices and great ideas about doing more with less.  The article covers anything from daytime cleaning to reducing paper usage and printing.  Much of the article focuses on creating a "green" environment which in turn will save money and cut expenses.  Other ideas include:  "replacing fluorescent lights with LED ambient lighting", "using weather based irrigation controllers", "purchasing quality used/refurbished furniture", or "finding a contractor with an energy focus."  For more money saving tips, and to view this article in its entirety, click the link below. 

Shop Talk: 31 Expense-Slashing Solutions

First Panera Drive-through to open in the Quad Cities

Original article published in the Quad City Times by Doug Schorpp

Panera Bread will open its third location at the corner of West Kimberly Road and Northwest Boulevard in Davenport, Iowa.  Previously, this location has been opearting as a used car showroom and body shop for Strieter Motor Co.  The location will open this winter and will contain the State's first Panera drive-through. 


For more information, and to read this article in it's entirety, CLICK HERE.

During Tough times, consider an auction!

Original Article published by Dan Rafter in Midwest Real Estate News on September 7, 2010. 

Gordon Greene

According to Gordon Greene, a principal of the TCN Auction Group at Chartwell Group/TCN Worldwide, it's no surprise that commercial brokers are turning to auctions to help move their properties.  Greene states that brokers have found that a high-profile real estate auction program can often deliver product faster to the market.  Several different types of real estate auctions are being utilized including: traditional negotiated sales, corporations with surplus properties, and workouts, which are basically orchestrated short sales. Greene offers that the market will eventually stabilize, and there will be more of the traditional use of negotiated sales compared to auction sales in the future.  To read more of Greene's thoughts, CLICK HERE.

Commercial Real Estate Remains Soft but Favors Business Expansion

According to the National Association of Realtors, Commercial real estate sectors, hurt by weak job growth, are offering incentives in many areas that are conducive to business expansion. NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, said fallout from the recession continues to impact commercial real estate.

In its SIOR Commercial Real Estate Index, The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors shows vacancy rates are beginning to level, but rents remain depressed, and subleasing space is high. Measuring 10 variables, the SIOR index rose 2.8 percentage points to 41.0 in the second quarter, but remains well below a level of 100 that represents a balanced marketplace. This is the third consecutive quarterly improvement.

Commercial real estate development remains stagnant in all regions with low investment activity, but development acquisitions are beginning to grow in many areas in what is described as a buyer’s market. According to NAR’s latest Commercial Real Estate Outook, vacancy rates will shift modestly in the coming year.

CLICK HERE to view this article in its entirety.