Merchants Development is a full-service development firm focused on repeat retail retrofit, turnkey and ground-up projects. Merchants Development was formed to deploy capital of BDClark Holdings and affiliated investors. We pride ourselves on our ability to execute across all phases of commercial real estate development aligned with our investment goals and our tenant’s strategies. In concert with our affiliated third-party service providers, including BDClark Properties, LLC and Build Partners, LLC, we work hand-in-hand to deliver flawless execution from site acquisition, pre-development/entitlements and construction, all the way to lease commencement and diligent asset management. Our team is committed to a hands-on, strategic, problem-solving approach, ensuring we address the unique demands of each project and apply our team’s diverse competencies to deliver excellence from start to finish. We are more than just developers and landlords – we strive to be holistic partners in our tenant’s successes.
Targeted Projects:
Build-to-Suit Retail: Repeat relational ground-up development of retail sites in southeastern and mid-western US markets.
Retrofit and Turnkey Retail Deals: Repeat relational acquisition/leasing of well-located existing mid-box retail, and turnkey redevelopment of these sites to meet the needs of our tenant-partners.
Fee Development Consulting Services: Assignment-based consulting for landlords and occupiers, leading to strategic redevelopment and transactions for dark and soon-to-be dark mid-box retail.
Breadth of Operations:
- Site Acquisition: We excel at farming trade areas to identify and acquire the perfect sites for the needs of our tenant-partners, conducting thorough due diligence, expediting site design and entitlement, value engineering and in-depth financial underwriting.
- Deal Making: We cultivate repeat tenant relationships, understanding thier needs, presenting complete, vetted sites with an eye towards net new sales, streamline site visits and approvals, design coordination and lease execution.
- Construction/Project Management: In concert with our affiliated service provider, Build Partners, we engineer accelerated delivery of our projects, from design, permitting to construction administration and completion.
- Asset Management: We execute comprehensive commercial property management services to protect assets and add value.
- Development Services: We provide full-service commercial fee development and development consulting services for landlords and retailers, leveraging our development strategies to reposition and redeploy dark and going-dark sites in concert with our deep understanding of the ins-and-outs of the commercial real estate, development and the needs of our key relationship tenants.
Our Team
Brandon Clark brings over 15 years experience in commercial development, brokerage, construction and property management. From 2013 to 2023, Brandon worked with Maddox Companies of Knoxville, Tennessee constructing, developing, marketing and managing office, retail, industrial, land and self-storage in Tennessee and Florida. Prior to that, from 2009 to 2013 Brandon worked with Bill Lunsford Construction and Dev. of Tuscaloosa on projects such as Riverwalk Place, Temerson Square, and the Summit on 15th.
Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Brandon now calls Tuscaloosa home with his wife Sarah Beth and three children. Brandon earned a degree in management from the University of Alabama with studies in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship, is a 10+ year member of ICSC, a licensed broker in Alabama and Tennessee, and an Alabama Unlimited License General Contractor.
Allan Schramm, PLA is an experienced project and construction management professional with a long track record of successful projects spanning many states, and a broad range of retail experience including supermarket conversions, retail retrofits and civil construction. A registered landscape architect by training, Allan brings this expertise and his years of experience to bear in working to quickly develop concepts for winning sites for our tenant-customers, and in consideration of site and building conditions and cost and schedule implications.
A native of Louisiana, Allan lives in Northport, Alabama.
Rhonda Busby has over 30 years experience in corporate accounting and financial management in the real estate and logistics industries. She has worked with firms from start-up, growth phases to successful exit. In additional to serving as the firm’s controller, she oversees financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, lender reporting and interactions, cash management, payroll, human resources, and property management accounting.
A Tuscaloosa native, Rhonda and her husband’s passion is for serving on missions with their congregation.
Charlie Martin has a passion for real estate and a creative mind for carrying out marketing strategies for the firm, its projects and properties. At the University of Alabama, Charlie helped lead the Capstone Real Estate Academy, a student-led orgainzation focused on developing the next generation of real estate talent in the state of Alabama, and was a co-founder of a new University Real Estate club. Charlie has worked for the UA Lands department, and prior to joining BDClark Properties, Charlie worked for a local development firm with extensive multifamily and commercial holdings.
Charlie is currently pursuing his CCIM designation.
Kevin Beirne is a finance major with a minor in real estate at the University of Alabama, with a strong interest in commercial real estate. He has experience researching properties across the Southeast and Midwest and preparing marketing materials to support property outreach and promotion. Through his work, Kevin has developed a solid understanding of site selection, market trends, and the fundamentals of real estate development.
He is currently working toward his real estate license and is excited to keep learning and growing in the industry. Originally from Atlanta, Kevin enjoys golf, college football, and spending time with friends and family.
