Press Room
SMART BUSINESS CHICAGO
Topping the chart: How Michael Lerner uses an organizational chart to improve accountability and communication at MCZ Development Corp.
August 2007
When Michael Lerner holds a mirror to his organization, the reflection he sees is perhaps not that of a typical real estate developer.
“We don’t think of ourselves as homebuilders,” says Lerner, president and founder of Chicago-based MCZ Development Corp. “We think of ourselves as creators of neighborhoods.”
Founded in 1985, MCZ initially specialized in adaptive reuse projects — mostly loft renovations — and focused on creating affordable dwellings for its target demographic: young, urban professionals. By the mid-1990s, the company had found its calling, concentrating its development efforts on thinly populated sections of Chicago, such as the Fulton River District and South Branch. By rehabbing multiple buildings — offices, manufacturing sites, etc. — in a particular area, Lerner says MCZ played a large part in turning those former industrial districts into bustling urban neighborhoods. Maintaining that momentum, however, meant utilizing a tool whose usefulness is perhaps overlooked by many leaders: the organizational chart.
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ILLINOIS REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
A Little Bit of Hard Work and a Lot of Luck
July 2007
Michael Lerner is a little shy about talking about his company’s roots. After all, he had never planned on being a condo developer; rather he went to college to become a teacher.
But after one semester of student teaching, Lerner decided instead to pursue a career in carpentry. Not long after, MCZ/Centrum Development started to grow.