Principals / Officers
Jeff Gitt, Managing Broker / Co-Founder
314.997.5227
jgitt@westwoodnetlease.com
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Chris Schellin, President / Principal
314.563.2208
cschellin@westwoodnetlease.com
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Jason Simon, Vice President / Principal
314.563.2206
jsimon@westwoodnetlease.com
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Kristen Bacon, Vice President / Principal
314.563.2207
kbacon@westwoodnetlease.com
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Susan Gitt, Co-Founder / Director
314.997.5227
sgitt@westwoodnetlease.com
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Principal / Consultant
Ben Hilliker, Principal
314.781.0001
bhilliker@hillikercorp.com
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H. Meade Summers, Principal
314.781.0001
hsummers@hillikercorp.com
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Hal Ball, Principal / Vice President
314.781.0001
halball@hillikercorp.com
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Will Aschinger, Principal
314.781.0001
waschinger@hillikercorp.com
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Scott Martin, Principal
314.781.0001
smartin@hillikercorp.com
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Principals Overview
Jeff Gitt, Chairman / Co-Founder
Jeffrey’s long and distinguished career has reached into every corner of the real estate business. An industry veteran, he possesses expertise in development, ownership, investment sales, leasing, management, and tenant representation. With 40 years experience in commercial real estate brokerage, in 2001, he co-founded Westwood Net Lease Advisors. Recognizing a distinct marketplace need, Jeffrey has helped create a niche business that pairs nationwide buyers and sellers of triple net properties & tenant in common investments. As a testament to Jeffrey’s vision, soon after its inception, Westwood Net Lease Advisors became one of the premier companies of its kind. As a top-producing Westwood broker, Jeffrey’s clients appreciate his honest and straightforward approach to doing business.
H. Meade Summers III
H. Meade Summers, III is a native of St. Louis. He graduated with honors from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1985. In 1985, Mr. Summers joined Hilliker Corporation as a real estate agent. Due to his exceptional abilities and tireless initiative, he became a Vice-President in 1988 and a principal in 1990.
Mr. Summers is well known in the St. Louis community as a major player in the brokering of industrial real estate and has supervised the re-development of over 3,000,000 square feet of building space. Mr. Summers has been involved with his clients in rehabbing the Falstaff Brewery complex, the former St. Louis Post-Dispatch Office Building and Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Works. He brokers deals throughout the Metropolitan St. Louis area, St. Charles County and Illinois. Recent sales have included the 268,764 sq. ft. Pevely Dairy Complex and the 1,200,000 sq. ft. Railway Exchange Building, with tenants including Macy’s flagship, St. Louis store and general offices. Mr. Summers is recognized as an authority on historic tax credits and Brownsfield tax credits. He is a charter director of The Business Bank of St. Louis.
Chris Schellin, President
Mr. Schellin is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, OH with a Bachelors Degree in Finance. He joined Westwood Net Lease Advisors in 2005. Prior to joining Westwood, Chris worked as an acquisition associate for a real estate investment company as well as a financial analyst for EMC Corporation.
Since joining Westwood Chris has represented both buyers and sellers with great success. His focus has been on private, individual buyers and developers. He has sold “national brands” such as Walgreens, CVS, McDonalds, AutoZone, Dollar General and many others. Mr. Schellin’s hard work, in behalf of his clients, his in-depth knowledge of the retail market and his integrity have earned him a highly respected reputation in the national, single-tenant marketplace.
Jason Simon, Vice President / Principal
Mr. Simon holds a dual Bachelors Degree in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mr. Simon’s passion for real estate and vast knowledge of the national, NNN market, has made him uniquely versed in the smaller end, NNN properties such as dollar stores, fast food restaurants, auto parts stores, drug stores, and big box retail buildings. He has earned the respect and trust of his clients with a reputation of being a quick responder who shows all aspects of a property, both positive and negative. His no pressure approach helps to ensure his clients are getting a quality property they will be happy with for years to come. Jason works on behalf of both buyers and sellers on a daily basis, helping them understand the national, NNN market, and develop a strategy that works best for their particular needs. His patience with, and explanations to clients new to the market, as well as his in depth, sharing of knowledge with veteran clients, make it clear that he is a versatile “full service” broker.
Kristin Bacon, Vice President / Principal
Ms. Bacon is a recognized leader in nationwide triple-net property sales. She brings over 18 years of experience in the financial market sector to commercial real estate transactions. Prior to joining Westwood Net Lease Advisors in 2004, she was engaged by the Smith Barney division of Citi-Group.
Ms. Bacon’s primary focus has been on buyer representation and establishing relationships with developers. Her extensive background in the primary and secondary financial markets brings a unique asset to her clients, allowing her to help analyze retail tenants’ stability and find the most suitable investment vehicle for each client’s needs. Ms. Bacon’s investment services include the identification, evaluation, negotiating and marketing of triple-net properties such as Walgreens, CVS, auto part stores, fast food, casual dining and many more.
In 2006, Ms. Bacon received the “Top Gun Award” from CNL Restaurant Group, now known as GE Capital. Her hard work, in-depth knowledge of the retail market and perseverance has assisted her clients in over $250 million dollars of real estate acquisitions and has built a highly respected reputation in the nationwide, triple-net, commercial real estate marketplace.
Ms. Bacon studied marketing at Colorado State University and is the happily married mother of two children.
Susan Gitt, Co-Founder / Director
Susan Gitt graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a BS in Special Education in 1973. While going to school, Susan was working for a group of young, aspiring general surgeons and ophthalmologists for whom she managed their practice for 5 years, taking it from a true start-up with no patients to one of the majors.
In 1976, Susan became a part owner of Horn’s Haberdashery, an upscale men’s and women’s boutique in downtown Clayton, Missouri. After owning the store for 11 years, she continued to follow her passions for helping society and went back to teaching for the Special School District of St. Louis. Susan was then offered a role with Ralph Lauren Eyewear. She became the territory manager for all of Missouri and within two years, won several awards and became the top sales person in the country.
In 1995, Susan was later offered a management role at Schultz Company, a family business with over 200 employees that manufactured lawn and garden products. 6 years later, the company sold to United Industries and Susan retired.
In 2001 Susan married Jeffrey Gitt and retirement was over, Susan got right back to work, starting her a career in commercial real estate. For the past the 9 years, she has played a key role in helping Westwood Net Lease Advisors become one of the top 1031 investment property sales companies in the United States. Along the way Susan has received a Missouri real estate license as well as a Series 63 and Series 22 securities licenses allowing her the unique ability to both conventional and securitized real estate.
Ben M. Hilliker, Chief Executive Officer
Ben M. Hilliker is a graduate of Washington University’s School of Business Administration. He was President of an engineering firm with offices in five cities, prior to entering the commercial real estate field. In 1973, Mr. Hilliker sold his engineering firm and commenced as an agent for one of St. Louis’ largest commercial real estate firms. By 1983, Mr. Hilliker was probably the highest producing commercial Realtor in St. Louis. In 1985, Mr. Hilliker established Hilliker Corporation, he being, its sole agent. In the intervening years, Hilliker Corporation has grown to have eighteen agents. All agents are full time and handle only commercial, industrial, institutional and investment real estate. In 1993, Hilliker Corporation commenced property management operations and has since accumulated over 30 management properties with total floor area of over 2,000,000 square feet. No property owner has ever chosen to terminate Hilliker Corporation’s management services. Mr. Hilliker was designated St. Louis’ Commercial Realtor of the Year in 2006. He has been a member of Society of Industrial and Office Realtors since 1986 and is a past President of its St. Louis Chapter.
Hal Charles Ball, Vice President/Principal
Hal C. Ball graduated from Amherst College with honors in 1984 and joined Hilliker Corporation in 1985. Over the past 27 years Mr. Ball has completed over 800 separate transactions, including sales of major retail centers, office towers, and industrial facilities. Additionally, Mr. Ball is also uniquely active in institutional properties. He represents the St. Louis Public Schools, having brokered over 40 school properties in the past 8 years as well as having sold nine parish compounds for the St. Louis Archdiocese in the past 5 years, along with numerous other institutional properties.
Mr. Ball was elected 2010 President of the St. Louis Chapter of SIOR, and he was selected the Realtor of the Year in 2004. He is Hilliker Corporation’s Senior Vice President and a managing Principal.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Mr. Ball is married and has 3 children.
A. William Aschinger, Vice President / Principal
Mr. Aschinger grew up with commercial real estate, being from a family, which is active in the field. Mr. Aschinger graduated from Southwest Missouri State University in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration. Mr. Aschinger was an early entrepreneur and ran a successful retail business from 1979 through 1990.
In 1991, Mr. Aschinger joined Hilliker Corporation and used his entrepreneurial spirit to help his clients find and acquire properties as well as sell and lease his clients’ properties on desirable terms. He commonly completes forty or more office, industrial, retail and investment deals per year. Mr. Aschinger has been especially active in tenant and buyer representation. He has worked with Autozone, All-State Insurance, Lens Crafters, AT&T cell stores and other local retailers.
Mr. Aschinger has served on the St. Louis Commercial Real Estate Board of Directors.
Scott E. Martin, Vice President / Principal
Mr. Martin graduated from Harvard University in 1976, with a Masters Degree in City Planning and graduated in 1994 from St. Louis University with a Masters Degree in Finance. Mr. Martin was, for 8 years, a Vice President of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, Inc., serving as senior advisor for overall real estate planning for its clients, including the Smithsonian Institution, The Federal Reserve Bank, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Ralston Purina Co.
Since joining Hilliker Corporation as an agent in 1994, Mr. Martin has, among other successes, established Hilliker Corporation as the most active and successful commercial-industrial real estate firm, in Franklin County.
Mr. Martin has assisted buyers and tenants with the acquisition of, and owners with the leasing and sale of, office buildings, industrial property, retail property, investment property and land in St. Louis County, St. Louis City and in adjacent areas. Mr. Martin has coordinated the conception, development and marketing of new, build-to-suit buildings, throughout the area.