VISTA Today speaks with Chuck Swope, Chairman of Swope Lees, a commercial real estate sales and leasing firm, about growing up in West Chester the only child of a school teacher and an influential bank president, failing then succeeding as a college student, finding his way into commercial real estate and starting Swope Lees in 2009 at what he and Jim Lees thought was the bottom of the recession and how his wife Betsy helps him maintain a work / life balance as the commercial real estate market heats up.

Where did you grow up, Chuck?

I was born in Chester County Hospital and grew up on Ashbridge Street on the north end of West Chester. I was an only child. My father was president of the First National Bank of Chester County and my mother was a Kindergarten and middle school teacher in the West Chester school district.

What was different about West Chester back in the 80’s when you were growing up?

West Chester was very different back then than it is now. Back then West Chester wasn’t as vibrant.  It was less of a destination and more of a country town. Mike DellaVecchia, who’s family owned DellaVecchia Funeral Home, was my best friend, and I spent a lot of time in the DellaVecchia Funeral home when I was a kid. Mike and I rode our bikes all over town.

I enjoyed both my family’s and West Chester’s seasonal traditions when I was growing up. Those traditions included going to Ralph Smith’s Water Company to buy Christmas trees or trips to Yearsley Hardware with my Dad in the Spring as well as raking leaves, growing tomatoes and making ice cream on the Fourth of July.

When did West Chester start to change?

I think the most noteworthy transition was when Iron Hill Brewpub came into town. Prior to Iron Hill coming to town, West Chester was just kind of bouncing along, holding its own.

Did you like that your parents were well known around West Chester?

It was a mixed blessing. I’ve worked to perpetuate my Family’s legacy. At the same time, I’ve always been mindful that I’m my own person, and I want to have my own identity and life.

What sports did you do in high school?

I played football, lacrosse, and rugby at East High School. In fact, I was on East’s first high school rugby team. A local guy with a rugby background named Don Jefferies approached the school and offered to start a rugby program. I enjoyed the experience, and I’m still close with Jefferies today. I continued playing all three sports, and added another, rowing, in college.

What full or part time jobs did you have in high school?

I worked as a construction laborer for a guy named Gerry Moore, who owned Moore & Black builders as well as an orderly at Chester County Hospital. I thought I wanted to be a doctor when I was in high school so working in a hospital made sense to me. I enjoyed the experience and would have gone on to medical school were it not for chemistry and biology in college (laughing)!

What lessons from those jobs stay with you today?

Having a strong work ethic and always be looking for the next opportunity.

What music did you listen to, Chuck?

A little bit of everything, from Jimmy Buffet to Pearl Jam.

Where did you go to college?

I went to West Chester University for a semester and then transferred to Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.

Why West Chester and then a quick transfer to Washington after just a semester?

I was accepted early admission to Washington but had a last second change of heart and decided to stay local and go to West Chester instead. I was a Chemistry major on a pre-med track and did poorly my first semester. Halfway through that first semester I knew I wanted to transfer. I was too close to home and old friends and not sufficiently focused, I wanted more independence and freedom and decided to revisit Washington College.

Did the decision to transfer to Washington work out?

I had an abysmal GPA from my first Semester at West Chester, so I had a hole to dig myself out of. Washington College turned out to be a good setting for me. I got involved in a number of college fraternity and sports activities. I also changed my major from Chemistry to Environmental Studies and chose to minor in English. At one point I thought I wanted to go to law school so a minor in English made sense.

My father was diagnosed with throat cancer during my Sophomore year and for my remaining time at Washington, I went back and forth to home a lot taking my dad to the doctor. I still made Dean’s List my Junior and Senior year though!

What did you do after graduation?

When I was still in college I interned at Alliance Environmental Systems, Inc. in West Chester. I met Senya Isayeff, one of Alliance’s owners, at a First National Bank Annual Meeting. He overheard me telling another person I was an environmental studies major and offered me a summer intern position. Alliance was just developing the Goodwill Business Park and I got to do all sorts of cool environmental, land development, and construction things related to that project. After graduation, I went to work full time for Alliance doing business development.

After working for Senya for about 18 months, I decided I wanted to go back to school. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but knew I liked the brownfield development work that Alliance Environmental was doing. I became aware of a Master’s of Environmental Studies program at Penn so I enrolled. While I was working toward my Masters degree I did all sorts of odd jobs including working for DellaVecchia Funeral Home, driving Limousines, I substitute taught, a little bit of everything.

At about the time when I was working and going to school I met my future wife Betsy.

During this time I became an intern for Westrum Development Company, a Fort Washington developer who’s focus was redeveloping brownfields at the Navy Yard, Brewery Town in Philadelphia and a little bit of work near UPS in East Goshen. It was 2005, and the housing market was going gangbusters. I mentioned to my boss that I would be interested in working full-time for the firm when I graduated but couldn’t get a straight answer from him on whether the firm was interested in hiring me.

About this same time, Senya Isayeff suggest I get my real estate license and help him develop the commercial condos on the Trans Material site in West Chester.   I got my real estate license and hooked up with Jim Lees who was at Source Realty Group. Jim and I worked together at Source for four years before deciding to form our own firm in June of 2009 when we thought we were at the bottom of the economic mess.

Was it the bottom?

Not quite. We bounced around the bottom of the real estate market for a couple of years. I thought the nation and real estate market would come out of the recession sooner than we did. We always had good years, but it was tough. At first it was just Jim and I in subleased space over by the hospital. Now, seven years later, we’re up to eight agents in our own building in West Chester.

Looking into the new year, what challenges and opportunities do you see on the horizon?

Personally, maintaining a work / life balance is something I’m always mindful of. My dad made work a priority and spent a lot of time working. He was out the door at 5:30 in the morning and not home until 6 or 6:30. I don’t want to not make my work a priority, but spending time with my wife and daughter is a higher priority for me.

My wife Betsy, who is a university professor and does a lot of work behind the scenes to keep Swope Lees humming along, helps me find time to spend with her and Charlie Jane, my two year old daughter, in my busy schedule.

Professionally, on the Swope Lees side of my life, we are seeing supply issues in the industrial and flex space sectors for the first time in many years. There is an expectation and mindset that there is as much space out there as you want, just like it was back in 2010 and 2011. That’s not the case.

There’s also a very big disconnect between the cost of new construction and rental rates. The cost to build a new building is a lot more than it was 15 or 20 years ago which translates into higher rents for new buildings.

When you look back Chuck, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?

My dad always said, ‘Don’t spend more than you make.’ My wife and I approach our business and personal life with that advice in mind. We are very mindful of our resources and not significantly leveraged, neither one of us drive a new car and our office is furnished with used furniture, so we’re able to weather the down times better.   Living within our means makes the rest of our lives pretty manageable.