Morristown, NJ – Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services company, announced today that Gabriel Sasso has joined the firm to drive the continued expansion of Avison Young’s project management platform in New Jersey.
Sasso joins Avison Young as a Vice-President based in the company’s Morristown, New Jersey office. A 30-year veteran of the construction industry, Sasso was most recently a Senior Vice-President at The Gale Construction Company - a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack-Cali - where he previously ran the company’s Roseland, New Jersey office. At Gale, Sasso was a member of the company’s senior management team and also served as a project executive for several of Gale’s most significant assignments.
Sasso’s hiring at Avison Young coincides with the firm’s announcement that the United States Golf Association (USGA) has signed a contract with Avison Young’s project management services division to replace and upgrade the mechanical system at the organization’s headquarters facility in Far Hills, New Jersey. Sasso will manage the USGA relationship on behalf of Avison Young, having overseen other projects for the organization over the past several years.
“The addition of Gabe, who is a proven leader with an extensive track record of excellence in project and construction management, will enhance our leadership team, making it even stronger as we further our strategic vision for the growth of our platform throughout the Tri-State region,” comments Edward Walsh, Principal and Managing Director of Project Management Services for Avison Young. “Our project management division has built a portfolio of very significant, high-profile assignments, and we are strongly positioned to continue to attract the industry’s top professionals to build on our momentum in the marketplace.
Sasso’s career experience includes management of pre-construction efforts, as well as project management execution during the construction phase and through turnover. He has successfully delivered dozens of new and renovation construction projects ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $60 million. Representative projects for which Sasso has served as a project executive include NJ Manufacturers’ regional headquarters in Hammonton, New Jersey; 111 Sylvan Avenue in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; a major renovation of 410,000 square feet for Citibank; a new upper school building for Gill St. Bernards in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey; and Summit Executive Center, a Class A office renovation and expansion development in downtown Summit, New Jersey, on behalf of a joint venture of Normandy Real Estate Partners and MRY Associates;
“Having worked with Gabe previously, I know first hand the strong skill set and relationships that he brings to our organization, and am excited about the contributions he will make to our team,” says Tom Walsh, Principal and Managing Director of Project Management Services at Avison Young. “His broad-based experience executing all aspects of a wide variety of project types is strongly aligned with our firm’s focus on serving as a total solutions provider for our clients’ project and construction management needs.”
Sasso is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional as well as an active member of the New Jersey Chapter of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). A highly experienced safety professional, Sasso has earned his OSHA 500 and 510 certifications, which allow him to teach the OSHA 10- and 30-hour safety classes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rutgers University with a specialization in construction management and geotechnical engineering.
“The opportunity to work again with Ed and Tom Walsh, both of whom I greatly respect and admire, as well as with several of the very talented members of Avison Young’s project management team in New Jersey and New York, was a key factor in my decision to join the firm,” comments Sasso. “Avison Young’s national platform and integrated service model provide a strong foundation for me to expand my network, and I look forward to assisting the company in developing new business opportunities and continuing its reputation as the region’s leading project management services firm.”
In October 2012, Avison Youngopened its first office in New Jersey, with Jeffrey L. Heller as Principal and Managing Director of the firm’s New Jersey office. The announcement followed the company’s opening of its first office in New York City, with Arthur J. Mirante, II as Principal and Tri-State President and Greg Kraut as Principal and Managing Director of the firm’s New York City office. Shortly after the opening of its first New Jersey office, Avison Young announced its acquisition of The Walsh Company, one of the foremost project management firms in the New York Metropolitan Area, and the regarded leader in New Jersey. In August, Avison Young continued the expansion of its Tri-State presence with the opening of its first office in Long Island, New York, headed by Principal and Managing Director Ted Stratigos.
Avison Young is the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises more than 1,300 real estate professionals in 50 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.