Paradise Ventures TeamParadise Ventures Office

Leadership you can trust

Michael P. Connor
President/CEO

George K. Kidman
Executive Vice President/Partner

Chuck Ernst
Vice President

Jon Mott
Director of Real Estate/Partner

 

"Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." —Vince Lombardi

Paradise Ventures, Inc. is proud of our established relationships with both retailers and financial partners that have remained intact the past twenty years, through prosperous and tough economic times. The strength of our relationships has created a unique foundation for success from which we continue to grow.

In an effort to continuously enhance and promote both our existing and new business relationships, our full-service team offers expertise in developing grocery-anchored shopping centers, freestanding drug stores and other retail projects primarily in the Southeastern United States. Our team consists of in-house site planners, leasing agents, site selectors, and project managers. The unique cross-departmental collaboration model at PV allows for seamless and tailored development processes for our clients.

Historically, we have developed freestanding buildings as well as neighborhood grocery anchored shopping centers from 10,000 SF to over 600,000 SF. Recently we have taken the opportunity to expand our platform to include acquiring retail properties at what we perceive are attractive price points in select markets located within our core market area and using our expertise to reposition and promote value.

Paradise Ventures, Inc. is committed to continued excellence in developing quality projects and being devoted to serving the relationships it has built. This dedication to quality and service demonstrates the unique nature of Paradise and embodies its determination to persevere in challenging markets.

Mike Connor
President, Paradise Ventures, Inc.

 

Michael P. Connor | President/ CEO

Mike founded Paradise Development Group, Inc. in 1988 in Safety Harbor, Florida and leads all aspects of Paradise’s strategic planning.  In addition to cultivating and managing key retail relationships, Mike oversees the financing and capital structures of Paradise’s projects nationwide and manages the company’s equity partner relationships.

Mike received his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the Florida Bar and is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker.

mconnor@ParadiseVenturesInc.com

 

George K. Kidman | Executive Vice President/Partner

After successfully securing and developing sites in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama, George Kidman has mastered the competitive South Florida real estate market with Paradise's 15 Publix-anchored centers from 1996-2003 in that area. His responsibilities in the company include site selection, contract negotiations, outparcel procurement, anchor tenant relationships, oversight of project leasing, and the management of South Florida project development.

George has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker.

gkidman@ParadiseVenturesInc.com

 

Chuck Ernst | Vice President

Chuck Ernst joined The Paradise Group in 2008 as CFO. Shortly after his arrival, he was tasked with assisting in the restructure of our loan portfolio among 12 lenders. He now overseas operations of Paradise Ventures, Inc., which is the real estate venture formed from the legacy Paradise Group in July 2009. Chuck has an extensive background in commercial real estate lending and valuation. Prior to joining The Paradise Group, Chuck was Market Manager for LaSalle Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Group where he was responsible for business development and loan organization for local and regional clients in Florida and Georgia. Chuck also served in similar production roles at KeyBank Real Estate Capital, SunTrust Bank and ING Investment Management.

Chuck has a Bachelors degree in Finance and Real Estate from Florida State University.

cernst@ParadiseVenturesInc.com

 

Jon Mott | Director of Real Estate/Partner

Jon has been with Paradise since 1992 and has acquired extensive leasing, property management and real estate development experience since joining the team. As demonstrated by the high occupancy rate at Paradise centers across the country, Jon has been highly successful in leasing existing and pre-construction space, while specializing in tenant relationships on a regional and national level. The scope of his responsibilities include project marketing, leasing staff management, lease negotiations, and tenant site selections, while maintaining and developing new tenant relationships.

Jon also assists in the property management and marketing areas within the Paradise portfolio and is continually looking to introduce Paradise Ventures’ third party management and leasing services to new clients. As Director of Real Estate, Jon directs the marketing and leasing of Paradise projects throughout the United States.

Jon is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Salesperson.

jmott@ParadiseVenturesInc.com