NASHVILLE, TN — Creating a business concept and becoming the first in any industry has its challenges and very few are able to celebrate their fiftieth year mark, but in January 2018, Ghertner & Company will achieve this major milestone.
In 1968 when Frank Ghertner founded his real estate firm, Ghertner & Company, he saw a growing need for community association management in the state. At the time, there were not any companies that managed homeowners associations, so he obtained the education and professional designations necessary to make this the primary focus of his firm. Ghertner & Company became the first community association management company in the state of Tennessee and remains an industry leader in this area.
His good friend, Ronnie Wilker, joined Mr. Ghertner as a company principal in 1974. “Our competitors at the time were real estate brokers,” Mr. Ghertner said. “We saw a way to offer professional, honest and excellent management services to the expanding number of associations that were being developed.” Through their combined vision and tenacity, the company grew quickly.
Mr. Ghertner’s two sons, Scott and Steve, joined the company in the early 1990’s and in 2002, Mr. Wilker and Mr. Ghertner retired. The company’s leadership changed. Steve and Scott Ghertner became Co-Presidents of the largest property management firm in the region.
“When Scott and I first started working for our father, the company managed less than 10,000 units. As we approach our company’s 50th year anniversary, we now manage over 50,000 units,” Steve Ghertner stated. “Even with the growth, our vision has always been to excel in real estate services to the mutual benefit of our customers, associates, service providers and the Company.” Steve added, Our success has been driven by the great work and dedication of all our associates.”
Scott Ghertner stated, “Our focus is implementing best management practices with integrity in everything we do so that we can meet our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations. We are constantly evolving, expanding our resources and researching the latest innovations, so we can continue to improve.” These strongly held principles have driven Ghertner & Company to become the industry leader in professional homeowner association management throughout Middle Tennessee.
The Ghertners have a family history of determination and perseverance in MiddleTennesse since the late 1800’s. Simon Ghertner arrived in 1890 after he fled Romania as a teenager because of persecution and a Jewish relief agency helped get him to America. When he got to New York, he told immigration that he had been an apprentice printer, so they sent him to Nashville. Even then, Nashville was known as a printing hub, so he went to Nashville without family or anything other than a truck.
After working at the Davie Printing Company as a young man, Simon Ghertner and his friend, Joseph Cullom struck out on their own in 1906 and formed Cullom and Ghertner Printers. They struggled and scraped together whatever they could to start and grow the business. When Simon Ghertner passed away in 1945, his sons took over the business, which thrived successfully under their leadership and they sold it in 1963 to the Victor Comptometer Company.
“We have quite a lineage of perseverance in our family,” Scott Ghertner said, “Steve and I are second generation leaders in the company and our dedication is firmly rooted in tradition while keeping an eye on the future.”
Ghertner & Company plans to kick off their celebration of this incredible 50th anniversary milestone by working with various local charitable organizations each month offering financial contributions and volunteer assistance. Such organizations include Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and a variety of other local philanthropies. Additionally, the firm plans to host an event for their clients to commemorate this achievement.