2019 Family Business Awards, Small Companies: Rowley Properties Inc.

This article appears in print in the December 2019 issue. See more about the winners of the 2019 Family Business Awards here. Click here for a free subscription.

Rowley Properties Inc.
Location: Issaquah

Rowley Properties Inc. is a family-run property management and development firm that defines its mission as helping businesses succeed, families belong and communities prosper.

Like many small businesses, the companys leadership must cover a wide footprint. Rowley Properties operations touch all the major real estate sectors, including office, industrial, residential, hospitality and storage space.

Four generations of the Rowley family have participated in the business since it was founded in 1954, including five current family stakeholders. They are Chairman George Skip W. Rowley Jr., Chief Executive Officer Kari Rowley Magill and designated broker Kelly Rowley Richardson. Two fourth-generation family members also are on the board of directors as they start their careers.
The family is very close and discusses strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities on a daily basis, the company says.

In fact, though Rowley Properties is small, with annual revenue growth averaging 3%, its run with all the rigor of a corporation with respect to structure and decision-making. Family members are expected to eventually participate in the business but must first earn a college degree and gain some industry experience before joining.

Also, as a family business, Rowley Properties believes strongly in supporting the community of Issaquah, where it is based.

Rowley Properties has always believed when you have a strong and vibrant community, you will have a healthy and growing business, the company says.

Silver Award

Communique PR
Location: Seattle

Communications are key to promoting harmony in a family, so it seems like a natural fit to marry communications with a family business, which is precisely what Communique PR is all about. The seven-employee company offers a full menu of communications services to clients, including media relations, strategy and message development, and results measurement. Sisters Jennifer Gehrt and Colleen Moffitt founded the firm in 2004, and their father, John Gehrt, has served as chief financial officer since the companys launch while Moffitts daughter has done work as an intern at Communique. The family ensures the business stays on track and that potential problems are resolved early by scheduling in-person meetings to address family-related business issues. The family-run firm appears to be hitting all the right notes on the communications front, boasting an annual compound growth rate of 7.6% since 2005.