When asked which of his projects he’s most proud of, our Founder & Chairman Bill Rothacker doesn’t tell a story about the most profitable, difficult or creative real estate development that Cadence has brought to life. Instead, he speaks modestly about the company he founded in 2001. “It started with an idea, and over time it took form and grew to be pretty strong, which allows us to continually work to improve the business.” That growth has taken many forms, with real estate projects growing larger and more complex, and the business’s strategic expansion from Denver to Los Angeles and Seattle to become a truly regional business.
The Cadence Family
In any business, it’s the people that drive the business forward. As a small business, we have the luxury of hiring people that we want to work with with for a long time. At Cadence, many of our key personnel have been with us for over a decade, allowing us to focus on their long-term success as part of our team. “When you have the kind of trust and confidence that comes from working with people for decades, you’re able to attempt certain initiatives, and it’s with that trust that we’re able to accomplish change and growth” says Bill in describing Cadence as a family that extends well beyond those on his own family tree. In an era when job-hopping has become the default, we consider the longevity of our employees to be essential to our success, and something we work hard to maintain: investing in the long-term growth of our employees and developing leadership for the future of the company.
It’s about the long game; building sustainable relationships that lead to a sustainable business model.
Everyone Wins
Our long-term approach to building our team is also reflected in how we approach our development projects. “Everyone wins” is about the long game—building sustainable relationships that lead to a sustainable business model. As Bill puts it, “when we work towards everybody having a win in a deal, then people will want to continue to do business together. We’ve noticed over the years that many of our competitors are very much into win-lose, which is fine, but it doesn’t make you want to maintain those relationships.” By taking a win-win approach, we’re able to reap dividends years into the future, and it also helps us identify opportunities to contribute to the communities where our real estate projects are under development.
The Western markets are quality-of-life markets…. molding themselves around a vision of what they want the future to be.
Best in the West
As the company has grown, we’ve remained rooted in the West—not for a lack of opportunity to expand elsewhere, but because we like it here. Colorado, California and Washington may seem disparate, but they also have a lot in common, especially when it comes to development. As Bill describes it, “the Western markets are quality-of-life markets, where education is highly prized. These markets are forward-thinking and cutting-edge; molding themselves around a vision of what they want the future to be.” That kind of thinking attracts the businesses we want to work with, and provides a strong platform for growth, even in down markets. While it can be fun to think about hopscotching across the country and creating international projects, there is so much opportunity here in the West. “By getting traction and getting better at what we’re doing, and servicing our customers better, we’re experiencing very efficient growth in our three markets.”
Besides, we love our home towns, and they allow our employees to enjoy the same quality-of-life assets that are good for our business. Like everything we do, It’s a win-win.
