Tonnessen, Gage and team join JLL

The Ashforth Company, a 112-year-old Stamford, Connecticut commercial real estate firm has announced that it has sold assets of its Fairfield County based commercial brokerage division, Albert B. Ashforth, Inc. to Jones Lang LaSalle.  JLL is at the same time hiring Ed Tonnessen, Jeff Gage, George Walker, George Bagley and Paul Tortora as brokers.
           
Darrell Harvey, co-chief executive officer of The Ashforth Company, indicated that the company and the senior executives of the brokerage division concluded together that with Ashforth’s continuing growth as an owner, the brokerage division would be able to grow more successfully by separating from Ashforth and becoming part of an independent brokerage company.  “Our extremely talented team led by Ed Tonnessen and Jeff Gage would like to expand the brokerage business and our company’s overall strategy is more focused on the acquisition of properties.  These two objectives are not necessarily compatible. Jones Lang LaSalle is a great company and a better long term platform for the brokerage team to join.” Harvey added, “We believe the separation allows each team a better opportunity to expand and more closely focus on its core business.”

Jones Lang LaSalle is a diversified global financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate.  Ed Tonnessen and Jeff Gage, now executive managing directors for Jones Lang LaSalle say, “We have enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with The Ashforth Company. Our goal now is to invigorate the Connecticut brokerage office for Jones Lang LaSalle and service clients in Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY.  Jones Lang LaSalle’s office is located at First Stamford Place, Stamford Connecticut.

The Ashforth Company expects to engage Jones Lang LaSalle for the leasing of its core office assets in Greenwich and Stamford.

The Ashforth Company plans to continue to grow through acquisition and development with investment partners in select markets, including Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, NY, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and San Francisco.