Allied Realty Company—with more than 2.5 million square feet of commercial, manufacturing and distribution holdings in downtown Huntington, Kenova, Nitro and Parkersburg, W.Va.; Paris, Ky. and Waynesboro and Harrisonburg, Va.—today announced that its board of directors has elected Rebecca Polan as its new president.
“One of my goals is to find ways to boost job creation and economic vitality in all of the communities where our commercial holdings are located,” Polan said. “Allied has a long history of finding profitable business opportunities that support the well-being of entire communities and I plan to continue that tradition as we head into the new year and beyond.”
Polan, 34, is the fourth generation of her family to head the company, which today is the corporate hub for a full-service global logistics business. Polan succeeds her father, Lake Polan, III, whose grandfather, Walter Lewis, first established Allied Realty in 1922. The company has owned, operated and developed commercial real estate in multiple states while engaging in retail, manufacturing, transportation, distribution and logistics businesses.
In the past five years, Polan has steadily boosted occupancy rates and local jobs at Solutions Place in Waynesboro and in Allied Realty’s other commercial properties in Huntington. She has also strengthened Allied Realty’s corporate services to its logistics subsidiaries, initiating a successful marketing program and enhancing leadership training for Allied employees.
In June, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell welcomed Solutions Place’s newest tenant, electronics manufacturer PPI/Time-Zero, which added 65 new high-tech jobs to the Waynesboro economy.
“I hope to duplicate the success we’ve seen at Solutions Place and in our Huntington properties,” Polan said. “Each of our commercial properties has distinct advantages and is the right fit for a variety of companies seeking everything from large spaces for warehousing, processing and manufacturing to retail storefronts and professional service buildings.”
In Huntington, near vibrant Pullman Square and the Big Sandy Arena, Polan sees the potential to add professional businesses to a block of Allied Realty-owned buildings. Current Allied Realty tenants in Huntington include a diverse array of businesses including restaurants, the corporate headquarters for the Huntington Hammers indoor football team, AbtSRBI, a full-service global strategy, research and analysis firm, the Marshall Hall of Fame Cafe and the Federal Social Security Administration.
Polan is a 2011 graduate of LEAD Virginia, active in a non-profit that promotes international trade with Waynesboro and was recently accepted into William & Mary’s Executive MBA program. She is an accomplished equestrian athlete, competing several times a year in national competitions. She lives in Charlottesville.
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