Business Spotlight: Thornhill Properties

Day to Play sponsor Thornhill Properties, Inc., has provided property management and brokerage services to Baltimore for more than 20 years. We caught up with Louis Panos, Vice President of Thornhill, to ask him about the company’s history, current projects, and why he believes that supporting nonprofits like GHCC is integral to the success of his business.

Tell us a bit about the history and accomplishments of Thornhill.

Thornhill Properties, Inc. was founded in 1986 by George L. Panos, a certified property manager and licensed real estate broker, and James F. Offutt, Jr., a Baltimore County real estate attorney. George Panos, CEO and President of Thornhill Properties, Inc., has been working in real estate for more than 35 years, providing property management and brokerage services to multi-unit residential, retail and commercial clients.  Our company is known for its proactive, hands-on approach to management and enjoys a loyal client base.

During more than 20 years in business, Thornhill has represented national retailers such as CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid Pharmacies and Revco, as well as Nationwide Motors Sales, Cellular One and A&A Global Industries.  We have represented owners of apartment buildings, from those with 12 units to those with more than 450 units.  Our institutional property management clients have included Eastern Savings Bank and the Resolution Trust Corporation (now part of the FDIC). Recently, Thornhill has partnered with Terra Nova Ventures and is handling the leasing for their $40 million renovation of Mill No. 1, a mixed-use project along the Jones Falls slated to open in 2013.

Today Thornhill manages a large, diverse portfolio of properties in the greater Baltimore area. Our mission is to provide professional real estate brokerage and management client services based on a strategy of proactive care. We take pride in the fact that all new management business has come through referrals; we have never advertised our management services.

What inspiration or vision do you share with Thornhill’s original founders?

George was inspired as a youth growing up in Baltimore watching the City and surrounding counties develop around him – he wanted to be a part of the changing landscaping. I share the same vision now 30 years later. We started managing Clipper Mill in 2009 and seeing how that community has evolved and succeeded through the failing economy has inspired me. I look forward to working on Mill No. 1, our latest project, and making it a success.

What qualities did you look for when deciding the location of your business?

We manage properties from Bel Air, Harford County to the Inner Harbor. A central location for our main office is key. We chose the Greater Homewood area due to accessibility. We manage over 20 properties in this neighborhood and own several buildings in the area.  

What was the biggest challenge you faced in starting your business? How did you overcome it?

Finding the right team to carry out our vision. We treat every client like family–every client is important, whether it be a property owner or prospective tenant. We have been able to promote from within and still have several members on the Thornhill team who have been with us since day one.

What prompted you to become a supporter of GHCC?

Our desire to preserve and improve the surrounding community.

Why do you believe it’s important for businesses to support a nonprofit like GHCC?

It’s extremely important to maintain and improve the community, especially in our line of work. Our clients’ property values depend on the surrounding community, and it is important to maintain and improve the community to increase and maintain property values.