New Koll Venture Matches Real Estate, Telecommunications

Koll Management Services Inc. said Wednesday that it has formed a partnership with two companies to provide real estate services to the telecommunications industry.

Koll Telecommunication Services is a joint venture with LCC, an engineering firm based in Arlington, Va., and Castle Rock Telecommunications in Newport Beach.

The new company will scout out real estate sites and oversee construction for housing the radio hardware needed by new wireless communications companies to set up operations.

The idea was the brainchild of Mike McNelly, an engineer who formerly designed cellular sites for LA Cellular and will be president of Koll Telecommunication Services, Koll said.

The Federal Communications Commission is in the process of auctioning licenses to provide new wireless communications services. When that is completed, the winning bidders will need to buy or lease real estate and construct facilities for their hardware.

McNelly said he saw opportunities in supervising real estate services for cellular and personal communications systems companies. He said he presented his business plan to Koll last year and, “after about an hour of going through the concept, walked away with a handshake.”

Koll Management Services is pitching in by providing personnel. Brokers at Koll’s offices nationwide will be called on to advise Koll Telecommunications about the various real estate markets in which they are searching and to help locate appropriate properties.

Ray Wirta, chief executive officer of Koll Management Services, said the idea appealed to the company because it already has the knowledge and the staff in place, and anticipates the demand.

Koll Management Services, based in Newport Beach, is a property management concern with 200 offices in 177 cities across the United States.