September 17, 2025 • 36 mins
A first Gulf War Veteran, Keith brings three decades of experience managing assets and investor capital, including acquisitions, for NiSource, Security Capital Group, and Case & Associates. Keith was responsible for growing the Southwestern territory, including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before relocating to Ohio with NiSource. He serves as secretary on the Move to Prosper board of directors. Keith has served on boards for the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Texas Apartment Association, and several nonprofits including Dream Weavers, Omega Vision, and Destiny Family Christian Center. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. from Webster University. He maintains his Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (formerly NALP), Certified Apartment Manager (CAM), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Certified Property Manager (CPM) designations.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Columbus and Central Ohio have a rich history of companies
being headquartered here, everything from technology, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and more.
But what about the leaders behind these companies? What makes
them tick? How do they get their start? This is
where you get to meet the captain of the ship.
Welcome to CEOs You Should Know and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast.
Welcome back to another episode of CEOs You Should Know.
(00:23):
This is an iHeartMedia Columbus podcast. I am your host, Boxer,
and this week we are so grateful to have with
us a true leader here in Central Ohio. He's the
president and CEO of Oakwood Management Company. I want to
welcome Keith Jones. Keith, Welcome to the podcast, Boxer.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Keith.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
There's a lot to get to with you. One of
the things that caught my eye among just all of
your accomplishments is the fact that you're a veteran. So
I can't wait to look forward to hearing more about
what you did and surveying our country. I told you
a little bit off the podcast taping that I'm always
very fond of anyone who has served our country, So
(01:03):
thank you for your service. You know in advance as
we get started. For those that don't know, Keith tell
us what is Oakwood Management Company?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oakwood Management Company is a multi family, predominantly multi family
property management company, which is apartments. We say multifying, but
it's apartment apartments. We do have commercial in our portfolio
as well, and so right now we are operating about
thirteen thousand units in central Ohio again as far north
(01:36):
as Mount Vernon and as far south as Dayton.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow, so you're all over then.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Fifty three year old company that was raised here in
central Ohio.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I was just gonna say, so Oakwood actually not just base,
but it all started right here in Columbus right here. Yeah,
that's amazing. We'll talk more about that, especially with the
transformation of not just Columbus, but what we're seeing in
central Ohio more companies that are moving here. Obviously, the
one that's dominated the headlines the past few years has
(02:10):
been Intel. There has also been the concern from everyone
from Mayor Ginther to many many others about the the
living situation, the housing uh, the some might call it
a crisis or are we in a crisis. So we're
going to get to all of that coming up. I
want to we want to learn more about you though, too.
(02:31):
Keith tell us your story. You from Central Hio. Where
are you from?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
No, Unfortunately, I'm not from all central I'm not from
here central central Ohio. I am from Panama City, Florida. Okay,
a lot of a lot of your listeners, your audience
might know that name absolutely down there in Panama City. Yes,
that's what it's known for.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
And so beautiful beaches, I must say, though beautiful beaches.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
I still say that they are the world's most beautiful beaches.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So really, boy, that's saying something as.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
A kid growing up, you know in Florida, you watch
TV and you see California and you see other beaches.
And so when I got old, I got a chance
to travel and I went to California and I thought,
is this it? So I think Patamon City has some
(03:25):
of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I will say I did something similar to what you did.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Granted I didn't grow up anywhere near a beach, but
when you see the beaches of Florida and there's there's
I'm sure you can go on to talk about how
there's a difference in what area of Florida you're in
and the beaches, and then you're like, oh, I've heard
so much about California. I bet California superior. And then
truly you go out there southern California, I too, went,
(03:54):
really this is this is it? They don't have anything
on Florida.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Dirty state, in cold water and rocky.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yeah, no kidding, I'm trying to figure out why you
would surf in southern California.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Exactly. If you got to surf with a wet suit
on because it's because the water is too cold, You're
probably not in the right.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Place, right. So, Keith, what was life like growing up
in Florida, especially Panama City.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Well that's an interesting question because people who know Panama
City they go and they go from a tourist perspective.
I grew up on the other side of the bridge.
So I grew up in uh, pretty much abstract poverty,
all right. So mother, stepfather was you know, he worked
(04:48):
at a mill. Yeah, my mother had uh she had
a hair shop that she scraped and built in. She
lost that in the hurricane. But but yeah, so so yeah,
that's that's you know, that's where I grew up at
and with the Rutherford High School on on on on
(05:10):
that side of the bridge. So it wasn't the most
affluent part of town. But yeah, but a lot of
lessons learned that though I didn't know we were poor.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, that's it. And and you know everything from and
I've always said this, boy, if you can, if you
can come out of any experience and especially learn from that,
or have more street smarts. You know, there's book smarts,
but then there's street smarts. I'd much rather have the
street smarts personally, But that's just me.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
My mother would argue that because she preferred us to
have booksmarts.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well by street smarts. I just what I mean is
common sense. Yeah, I know, but but I I would
not disagree with your mother. I would never disagree with it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I mean mentally, we could not bring a a C
in the house. That just wasn't a thing. Yeah, you
know it's and if you make a bee, it better
be your worst subject.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, well this is good. So your your mother clearly
wanted to make sure you guys had standards. You guys
worked hard, studied hard through high school. So after high
school where from there? Where?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
What? So? I played football in high school and I
thought I was going to play for Florida stay at
at a particular time. Then I got hurt there and
so that all changed. And then I'm finding myself figuring
out what I'm going to do with the rest of
my life. Yeah, and I'm sitting on the porch with
(06:47):
my leg and a cast one day and this recruiter
came looking for my next door neighbor and but I
guess he was not there, and so he came up
and said, hey, do you know so, and so I
said yeah. He was like, what's wrong with your leg?
And I told him I was back home from college.
(07:08):
I thought I was going to conquer the world, played
for the Miami Dolphins and all that good stuff. Yeah,
and so he says, well, you know the Army can
fix that.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
No way. Yeah, that's how it started.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
That's how it started.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
So you sign up, you take the oath.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, because I didn't know what I didn't I didn't
know what was next. Yeah, you know. So so, yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You graduated, You're going to boot camp, You're going to
the Army.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I didn't graduate at that point from college. No, okay,
it was just one one year, right, yes, okay, yeah,
and so on then because back then, you know, you
get hurt. Yeah right, your ball playing days are over.
These days you get hurt, I don't know, they shoot
you with a shot and you're back.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
On the feeling at the technology, right.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So yeah, so I decided to give the Army a shot,
and I don't think it was the best best decision
I made in my life. Actually, yeah, good for you.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Glad to hear that. And you were a part of
some special operations too, weren't you.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
So I was a part of the First Go War
as in air defense. As an extracurricular I also did
airborne as well.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, you jumped out of planes.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yeah, but that's that's it's not something that you know.
I wasn't dung hole about. Okay. I went to airborne
school off of a dare no way. Yeah, so but
you did it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Mad respect for you, by the way, Oh my gosh,
how can I ask how now? The the Army Golden Knights.
I had the chance to jump out with them one
time and they were at I don't know, they're teen
fourteen thousand feet when you're airborne, how high are you?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah? So about twenty and so yeah, yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
The mad respect, mad respect for you.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
You did the Army Knights. So that was fun. You
got to toil around and.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, but I did tandem with him. I mean you
were you know you probably you were with a bunch
of men and women, but I I was tandem. I
mean you were solo. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Though.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
What's uh, what's one thing they tell you when you
jump out? Like like just advice safety wise? Like what
do they tell you?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Don't die? Good advice?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Good advice?
Speaker 2 (09:42):
No, you know, you lean on your training. You know
they've trained yeah through you know, through all of that.
When you when you know, you try to start you
out with a tower and then it teach you how
to fall in. You know, yeah, forget your you know,
don't forget your training when you jump out. You got
the first rip cord that pulls and your your and
your parasyte shit yeah open. Yeah. If not, you got
another one, but that was shit open.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So you do have a backup. I've always wondered that
you do have a backup. Okay, how many years were
you in the army for?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So I was in army for six years? Okay, yeah,
six and six and a half.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, after six years, you decided, okay, time to do
something else. Or what what happened?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, so I was fortunate enough to complete most of
my education when I was in but then I was
I needed to finish up my education, so twice went
to the Middle East, first go for war, then went
to Hundurs. Then I come back and I really wanted
(10:45):
to stay stateside for a little while, but of course
the army said they got this little turn called the
needs of the army. And so no matter how much
I asked and beg if I could just stay home
for twelve months, yeah I would, I give you the
rest of.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
But they wanted to send you back over somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Okay, they couldn't make the prompt they couldn't put it
in writing, and so this is why that half a
year came. And so yeah, so I said, well, you know,
i'll see what happens. Sure enough, I came out on
orders and I said, no, I'm putting in my PaperWorks.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Where do they can? I ask? Where do they want
to send you?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So they wanted to send me back again to the
been a lease again. Yeah, and so that's when that's
when I say, you know what, I just want to
just be home for a minute. I wanted to finish
up my education and all that good stuff. So I
was in a Passo, Texas, Fort Bliss, Texas. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
So after after the Army, you went to finish up
your education and eventually you said, well, I need to
make another paycheck. Now I need to do something.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, literally, Boxer, this is the story. So I had
a car payment because I had to smoothest car in
pass What was it? Yeah, it was a Chevy Barretta.
Nice paint job. Love The Parretta had fifteen inch speakers
in it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Man, So you gotta you have a picture of that.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I'd love to. Don't have a picture my wife's I
think my wife has one and she's.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You're gonna you're gonna think I'm joking, Keith. But literally,
like just two weeks ago, I just out of the
blue because I'm a car guy and I love engines,
and I thought, man, why did Chevy have to discontinue
the Barretta.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Why they got the Barretta and the course, the course
with the four door version of it, and so so yeah, so, uh,
I had a car payment that I had to make it.
So I'm looking I'm looking for a part time job
at this point, right because again. I was enrolled in school.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Uh huh.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And I was walking across the parking lot. Here comes
the apartment manager driving in a little golf cart and
I'm dressed up going to another the interview, and she said,
where are you going? All dress stuff? But I'm like, wow,
I got an interview. I thought you was in the army.
I was, and she was like, so, do you need
a job? I said, yeah, I do. I'm want more
(13:13):
the interview, he said, well, just come and take this
test really quick. So when didn't I take a that's
a general ed test. Okay, yeah, according to her, I
scored pretty high. I couldn't believe it, but she said
I did. And so she offered me a job right
there on the spot. Her name is Marissa Grenier. She
offered me a job on the spot and said, I
will work with your school schedule. I had an interview
(13:34):
at the airport. I was gonna just toss you know,
a guy that tossed the bags or whatever. Yeah, that's
what I was going to be doing. Well, I could
work in the office. I go toss bags. And they
were iffy whether they would work with my school schedule. Oh,
so she guaranteed me to work with my school schedule.
I'm in the office. Yeah, I think I take this this.
I never made it to the other interview.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
You took the job right there, So this was this
was the point. This is your entrance into management, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, this was it?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So property management and yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I started out part time making five dollars is fifteen
cents an hour. And this is in El Paso. Okay, Yeah, yeah,
at a place called the Feenix Apartments.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So I would imagine at that level you probably learned
a whole lot that being your first entrance into property management. Yeah, yeah,
I did, probably learned everything right.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
So, as you know, working part time for the owner
was a Reek security capital group, and so I got
a chance to kind of work my way up and
work with him for a while.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
There was a VP who was an Air Force guy.
I didn't hold it against him, and.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Did you remind him that the Air Force was born
out of the army.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
But I used to tease him. I would say, you
know what, Tony, you know, we like you guys because
gave us a ride wherever we need to go.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Isn't that what the Marines say about the navyes here?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, that's what MA said about too funny, and he
would say, yeah, we we opened the door and just
kick you out. I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
That's so funny.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So how long did you stay there at this this
first job? So?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I worked for Security Capital in different roles okay, right,
for about six years.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So it sounds like you worked your way up quite
a bit at this company.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah, And so they were they were kind of breaking
the company up, right, It was a public a public company.
Another bigger company came in called Archstone, kind of bought
out a lot of it and then do the rest
of it. They kind of sold off into pieces incomes
(15:54):
a company called Cases Associates, and Casing Associates then asked
me if I wanted to come on with them, and
so I went Nortification Associates. I stayed there for over
ten years.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Was that also in Opaso or Okay?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
So they were growing to Midwest, right, So they wanted
someone that can come on and help grow to Midwest.
So out of l Paso, I became the regional VP
of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern cal Wow, and
even helped out in the other when it was breaking
(16:35):
off into Louisiana at the time kind of helped out
with that a little bit as well.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Fast forward a little bit here, because we're with Keith Jones,
who is the president and CEO of Oakwood Management Company.
Let's fast forward a little bit. Eventually you would find
yourself in central Ohio. Can I ask where were you?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Just?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Were you in El Paso just before Central Ohio or where? Okay,
so you land yourself here as president's CEO. Where was
that your title right away when you landed? No, oh,
it wasn't. Okay, So tell us about that journey.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
So my wife and I we she's a military.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Brat, okay, so she understood everything. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And so her father was actually in the same unit
I was in. Wow, and so he and he he retired,
ended up moving to Savannah, Georgia. So we're there now
in a past so, you know, not having a family.
So we say, you know, we're gonna get closer to
(17:41):
the southeast.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So I began to put out my resume to go
to the southeast and nothing happened. So this recruiter calls
me from Ohio to come work for a company called
Nice Source.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Oh yeah, Nice So.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
As a parent company of Columbia Gas. And so when
she when she called and said, first of all, like Columbus, Ohio.
The only thing I know about Columbus, Ohio is y'all
have the buck Eyes there. That's all I know.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I love ever been in the state, never been. She said, yeah,
had this huge portfolio. Meet somebody to be in charge
of the entire portfolio. So like, nice, nice source. And
so I looked, you know, I kind of looked them up,
their resource. They have their parent companies of these gas companies,
electric companies. Yeah, like Columbic Gas of Ohio, Columbia, Kentucky
(18:41):
and all this and all this real estate. I'm like, okay,
this might be something. So they are the culprits that
moved me from Pato to Columbus. So that was that was.
That was in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Fifteen, Yeah, okay, yeah, so happy ten years by the way,
happy ten years here in Columbus.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Right, clearly you like it, Actually I do. I don't
like the buck Eyes. So I want I want, I
want your fans and listeners to know your artists. No,
I don't like the buck guys.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So if we say oh to you, you're not.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Nothing I turned my back. Yeah, yeah, I don't say anything.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
He again, who's gonna mess with you? Keith Jones, Who's
gonna mess with you? Because I wouldn't so Boxer.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
The first time I heard this was I'm flying here
for an interview with with Nysoors and so I'm sitting
on the plane. I'm the guy that sits by the
window with my headphones on, sleeping, don't bother anyone, Right,
the plane lands, his stewardess comes out, Oh h They've
on the planet. I'm like, what the world what is this?
(19:58):
I thought I was in a cult, man. I didn't
know what was going on.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I've heard that. I've heard that before, y'all. I'm a
cult there in Central Aisle. So, yeah, that's great. I
love it. Eventually, you you find yourself at Oakwood Management Company.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah. So I've been there now for three and a
half years, going on for again congregates my predecessor. He
was with the company pretty much built it so a
lot of respect for John So he was there for
over forty five years. Yeah, with them, kind of built
it up, and he was retiring. So I'm the second CEO,
(20:40):
wow of a fifty three year old company.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
What looking to the future, what are the goals of
yours and Oakwood Management when it comes to just you know, housing,
because we keep hearing over and over from time to
time how we could either be in right now or
we will be and it's gonna hurt even more later
on a housing crisis.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right, this area just just keeps growing, right. The people
are moving here all the time, right, so it seems
like the housing is it's going to not be able
to keep up with the folks that that are moving here.
So our goal is to try to as much as
Central Ohio will let us not say that because some
(21:25):
judistics is it's hard to you know, to to to
building there is to continue to grow. Right as you
heard me say, we are in Dayton now, so we're
working with some partners there that are that are that
are breaking or have broken ground what I'm saying units there.
So and I know that doesn't do anything for Central Ohio.
(21:47):
But if you draw a circle around Central Ohio, it's
just it's just going to keep expanding exactly. You're going
to see some of these pockets, for instance, doubling in Marysville.
We got a lot of units planned for Marriageville as well,
you're gonn to see that pockets start to close.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Right at years. Well, wait, here's another one. I live
in the northeast side where they're doing Intel and of
course a lot a lot of the data homes, data
warehouses there for Facebook and Google. Yeah, I mean that
stretch of sixty two between New Albany and Johnstown. I'm
telling you, Eventually I see it connecting and they're all
(22:25):
just going to connect out.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
There's going to connect.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And so we just did a ribbon cut in Sunbury.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Oh congrats, good good area.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah, so good partnership with Roman Ali and Hughes there.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
So yeah, do you And I'm not asking you to
say communities, because I don't want to put that on you,
but how does community play a role in deciding where
to build apartments at? Because I would have to imagine
this is just me looking into your world. There are
probably some communities. There's a whole lot of red tape
(23:01):
you could drown in, and do you ever go I'm
not going to mess with that. Just that's that's just
too much economic speaking. Let's let's go over here and
see does that happen all the time?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Okay? I want I want to call those communities by
name on your on air. But there are some communities
that they understand the need, they see the need, but
not you know, not in my backyard, you know, sort
of speaking, so they make it kind of tough and so,
but there are some communities that are very open and welcoming.
(23:36):
And I will call this community Mount Vernon is one Vernon. Yeah,
and so they that's.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
A great area out there in Knox County.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Yeah, I'm gonna I tell you we we went up there,
nothing with dirt, right, And so they drive me up
there and say, hey, you know, we want to do
a project. You're like, no, no, no, oh, it's like
something out of a horror movie, you know, little town.
(24:08):
And so, but the people are just great there. And
but this is how much I know, how the thirty
years have been in the business. That's the fastest least
that we've ever done in the company's history.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yep, you mean people signing up and wanting to live there.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yes, okay, before units were even ready, they were signing up.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Well yeah, Keith, what is that? What is that telling
you about that area? Then that that's where people are going.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That's one that's where people are going to that it
perhaps was under service as as as far as new
construction is concerned, and so a little bit of citement
from both I think. And so now we're in phase
two of that same project and breaking ground for a
(24:59):
third project with other parties.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So I was just gonna ask, if you had that
that much success and now that you can see the data,
do you plan on I mean, well, let's let's expand here,
like if this is if this is where you know,
we're getting to bread or butter our bread at Let's
let's continue to do projects out this way.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yeah. So our founders, which I failed to mental, the
Kelley and Waller families are the founders of of of
Oakwood and so they're getting ready we are. We are
doing another project there that will be breaking founders is
your name. So we've been breaking grind as soon amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
By the way, has O could win management always been
apartments like since the beginning, since its start.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Yeah, apartments small multi family okay, like town Holmes kind
of you know, got started and just grew and to
what it is now just this behemoth of of of
of an organization.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, Keith, what is the hardest part about developing getting
apartments into a certain area, is it. It sounds to
me like a long process. And I know we just
talked about red tape, but what what's the toughest part
of the project.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I think the toughest part after you get through the
red tape, right, is now the lease up part of it.
I think because construction is construction. Those guys take care
of what they need to take care of. They'll move
at the speed of the weather, right, sure, and so,
but that lease up is tough because you you have
(26:46):
you want to lease it up in a decent amount
of time because you want to start getting revenue flowing,
and you know, you hope that it leads up at
a decent time. Yeah, but you really don't know. So
guys like Paul who want that marketing department come up
with all these great marketing plans and they think outside
(27:08):
the box to try to you have to, I mean,
and so, and we hope that whatever comes out of
that brain and his team's.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Brain work, no pressure, Paul, So working.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
With them and our new development team to implement what
they come up with. Yeah, and their collaboration. That's that's
the hardest part because you can't have empty units just
sitting there on the market, right, because now you have
you have owners, investors in the banks, and all of
them folks looking at you.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Sure right, Well, Keith, here's what I always wanted to know.
If it is are there price points like there are
with square footage and a home meaning if you're noticing
that for some reason, just the least scene of your
apartments has just dropped off, do you need to consider
lowering the price or getting Paul involved in the in
the marketing department? How does that work?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah? So, if if we're not hitting certain benchmarks, we
definitely look at incentives, whether it's whether it's three months
man or whether it's lord that we don't like the
lord or rich of course, but we definitely look at
that and we have done it right, So we try
to find that sweet that sweet spot, yeah, right, in
(28:23):
that particular market and each So most people think of
a market as Central Ohio general market, but there are
sub markets within Central Ohio. So we have to figure
out what's relevant in that particular sub market. Right, What
(28:44):
what the team comes up with, let's say in a
downtown sub market is going to be different than let's
say Northwest sub market. Yeah, right, because it's just it's
just totally different. Keith.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Before we wrap up sell us on oak Wood, Let's
say I'm I'm coming, I'm looking to lease an apartment.
What are some of the amenities. Oh wow, so tell
us the big ones, the big ones, Oh, the ones
that stand out, Boxer.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
We have first of all, our customer service, right.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I like that, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
We push taking care of our communities, our residents, creating
a true community feel right through activities. Now, some of
the some of the some of the amenities that you
will find with oak Wood are things like golf simulators. Wow,
indoor pools, indoor Wow.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Can I bring my dog skittles?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
You can definitely bring your dog skittles. We are definitely
a pet friendly company right from from dog dog walks,
dog washes. Oh wow. Really you can take place we
could take your dog and you can watch them, you know,
(30:06):
take care of him, grooming, dog groomers. I love that
right there, right there on on the on the on
property of course, game rooms if if you just want
to hang out and just you know, just just play games.
We have one community that has a virtual reality room.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
So yeah, wow, okay, there's stuff I met Wow, you're
rattling that stuff off, and I'm thinking, why didn't they
have this back in my twenties when I was renting
an apartment?
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Me too, right, I say the same thing exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Hey, Keith, Before we go a couple of other things,
I want to make sure people know where to go
on how to get more info on on Oakwood management
and your properties. Do you foresee we touched on a
little bit earlier with the housing, with the cost of
a home you for probably for a handful of years now,
ever since the pandemic, especially, you could sell your home
(31:07):
here and make great money off of it. But where
do you go. It's truly becoming just incredibly expensive to
buy a home that's going to shut and we're seeing it.
It's shutting people out here in central Ohio. So with that,
do you foresee more customers going into apartments until that
(31:27):
opportunity arises?
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I do, Yeah, I do, especially with the interest rates
to buying and not budget and so they are you know,
they're not the intertrates are not terribly high. They're just
not what we are we had grown accustomed to. Sure,
but the cost to build a house right has just
(31:50):
skyrocketed and so you're right, the young professionals, they're being
you know, they're being pinched a little bits as to
what's next for them. So we definitely try to cater
to them. That's why you you heard me prattle off
(32:11):
some of the amenities. It makes sense, yeah, because we
want them to have that that that feel of a
home that they would have because they would they would
want some of these things. So so yeah, it's it's
definitely tough right now.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I'm just waiting to hear when you're gonna do an
agreement with Starbucks and they're going to come into some
of these apartment I'm just want to know when Starbucks
is going to start moving in Boxer.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Yeah, we don't have Starbucks, but we have we have
a coffee vendor that you do on all of these
We spend a ton of money on coffee. I don't
if I threw out the number, you would be shocked,
you know.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Okay, well I tried.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Our residents love the coffee.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
So you have a coffee shop and a lot of.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Not a coffee just a place, a coffee area what
we got. But okay, I have these commercial type Yeah,
I'm not a coffee drinker, so if I'm standing the
wrong thing, please don't.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I know the machines you're talking about, right.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
So we have them there and they come in before
they go to work with them, and they get great
tasting coffee and they go yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And by the way, I did a price check on
those machines. I know the machines are talking about. They're
pretty standard. The if you're talking the industry coffee machines,
they're thousands of dollars.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
There are thousands of dollars.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Well, like, okay, full disclosure. I was at Disneyland, was
at one of their hotels, and I'm like, so they're like, oh,
we just got this machine. I'm like, wow, it's it's amazing.
Wonder what these go for. I'm thinking, oh, it'd be
great to have this in my kitchen. Twenty thousand dollars.
I'm like, Nope, that's a little beyond my price points.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Now the ones we get a not twenty thousand, okay,
that's a top tier. We get like the middle tier. Okay, right,
And so yeah, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Great that you offer that. Hey, Keith, I've taken up
so much your time. We could continue to go even
further with this for those that are looking for a
place or you know, to lease. Where can we find
oak Wood at your socials and your website?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Real simple, Liveoakwood dot com, Liveokwood dot com. That's our website,
and I believe they can get to the socials from there.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's super easy. It's probably towards the bottom
or Keith. This has been very enlightening. I didn't know
what to expect or what we were going to learn.
I felt like I my goal is to always have
people that are listening learn something new about the industry
that our guest is in. And I feel like at
least I did. We learned quite a bit today, So
really appreciate your time. Glad you're enjoying Columbus. Happy tenth
(34:48):
year anniversary. Maybe eventually we can get you to say, ioh,
not going happen. What if if you express martiniz and uh,
you won't cave? No, no, no, okay, boxer.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
I've been to a few of the OSU games. Yeah,
I kid you not. I wear my Florida State parapherne
to the games.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
You do not?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yes? I do?
Speaker 1 (35:17):
What do people say?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Some of them have said stuff like are you in
the wrong stadium now? Last year when we had a
really down season, they didn't say too much. Well, sorry
for you, right, this year might be a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Watch watch they come here for the playoffs, right, Oh,
that would be amazing. Well, Keith, this has been a
real pleasure. Let's keep in touch. Keith Jones, the President
and CEO of Oakwood Management Company. Thanks for your timer,
Thanks for being a guest on CEOs You Should Know.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Thanks Boxer, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
CEO As You Should Know is hosted and produced by
Brandon Boxer, a production of iHeartMedia, Columbus
Columbus and Central Ohio have a rich history of companies
being headquartered here, everything from technology, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and more.
But what about the leaders behind these companies? What makes
them tick? How do they get their start? This is
where you get to meet the captain of the ship.
Welcome to CEOs You Should Know and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast.
Welcome back to another episode of CEOs You Should Know.
(00:23):
This is an iHeartMedia Columbus podcast. I am your host, Boxer,
and this week we are so grateful to have with
us a true leader here in Central Ohio. He's the
president and CEO of Oakwood Management Company. I want to
welcome Keith Jones. Keith, Welcome to the podcast, Boxer.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Keith.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
There's a lot to get to with you. One of
the things that caught my eye among just all of
your accomplishments is the fact that you're a veteran. So
I can't wait to look forward to hearing more about
what you did and surveying our country. I told you
a little bit off the podcast taping that I'm always
very fond of anyone who has served our country, So
(01:03):
thank you for your service. You know in advance as
we get started. For those that don't know, Keith tell
us what is Oakwood Management Company?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oakwood Management Company is a multi family, predominantly multi family
property management company, which is apartments. We say multifying, but
it's apartment apartments. We do have commercial in our portfolio
as well, and so right now we are operating about
thirteen thousand units in central Ohio again as far north
(01:36):
as Mount Vernon and as far south as Dayton.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow, so you're all over then.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Fifty three year old company that was raised here in
central Ohio.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I was just gonna say, so Oakwood actually not just base,
but it all started right here in Columbus right here. Yeah,
that's amazing. We'll talk more about that, especially with the
transformation of not just Columbus, but what we're seeing in
central Ohio more companies that are moving here. Obviously, the
one that's dominated the headlines the past few years has
(02:10):
been Intel. There has also been the concern from everyone
from Mayor Ginther to many many others about the the
living situation, the housing uh, the some might call it
a crisis or are we in a crisis. So we're
going to get to all of that coming up. I
want to we want to learn more about you though, too.
(02:31):
Keith tell us your story. You from Central Hio. Where
are you from?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
No, Unfortunately, I'm not from all central I'm not from
here central central Ohio. I am from Panama City, Florida. Okay,
a lot of a lot of your listeners, your audience
might know that name absolutely down there in Panama City. Yes,
that's what it's known for.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
And so beautiful beaches, I must say, though beautiful beaches.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
I still say that they are the world's most beautiful beaches.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So really, boy, that's saying something as.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
A kid growing up, you know in Florida, you watch
TV and you see California and you see other beaches.
And so when I got old, I got a chance
to travel and I went to California and I thought,
is this it? So I think Patamon City has some
(03:25):
of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I will say I did something similar to what you did.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Granted I didn't grow up anywhere near a beach, but
when you see the beaches of Florida and there's there's
I'm sure you can go on to talk about how
there's a difference in what area of Florida you're in
and the beaches, and then you're like, oh, I've heard
so much about California. I bet California superior. And then
truly you go out there southern California, I too, went,
(03:54):
really this is this is it? They don't have anything
on Florida.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Dirty state, in cold water and rocky.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yeah, no kidding, I'm trying to figure out why you
would surf in southern California.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Exactly. If you got to surf with a wet suit
on because it's because the water is too cold, You're
probably not in the right.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Place, right. So, Keith, what was life like growing up
in Florida, especially Panama City.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Well that's an interesting question because people who know Panama
City they go and they go from a tourist perspective.
I grew up on the other side of the bridge.
So I grew up in uh, pretty much abstract poverty,
all right. So mother, stepfather was you know, he worked
(04:48):
at a mill. Yeah, my mother had uh she had
a hair shop that she scraped and built in. She
lost that in the hurricane. But but yeah, so so yeah,
that's that's you know, that's where I grew up at
and with the Rutherford High School on on on on
(05:10):
that side of the bridge. So it wasn't the most
affluent part of town. But yeah, but a lot of
lessons learned that though I didn't know we were poor.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, that's it. And and you know everything from and
I've always said this, boy, if you can, if you
can come out of any experience and especially learn from that,
or have more street smarts. You know, there's book smarts,
but then there's street smarts. I'd much rather have the
street smarts personally, But that's just me.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
My mother would argue that because she preferred us to
have booksmarts.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well by street smarts. I just what I mean is
common sense. Yeah, I know, but but I I would
not disagree with your mother. I would never disagree with it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I mean mentally, we could not bring a a C
in the house. That just wasn't a thing. Yeah, you
know it's and if you make a bee, it better
be your worst subject.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, well this is good. So your your mother clearly
wanted to make sure you guys had standards. You guys
worked hard, studied hard through high school. So after high
school where from there? Where?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
What? So? I played football in high school and I
thought I was going to play for Florida stay at
at a particular time. Then I got hurt there and
so that all changed. And then I'm finding myself figuring
out what I'm going to do with the rest of
my life. Yeah, and I'm sitting on the porch with
(06:47):
my leg and a cast one day and this recruiter
came looking for my next door neighbor and but I
guess he was not there, and so he came up
and said, hey, do you know so, and so I
said yeah. He was like, what's wrong with your leg?
And I told him I was back home from college.
(07:08):
I thought I was going to conquer the world, played
for the Miami Dolphins and all that good stuff. Yeah,
and so he says, well, you know the Army can
fix that.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
No way. Yeah, that's how it started.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
That's how it started.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
So you sign up, you take the oath.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, because I didn't know what I didn't I didn't
know what was next. Yeah, you know. So so, yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You graduated, You're going to boot camp, You're going to
the Army.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I didn't graduate at that point from college. No, okay,
it was just one one year, right, yes, okay, yeah,
and so on then because back then, you know, you
get hurt. Yeah right, your ball playing days are over.
These days you get hurt, I don't know, they shoot
you with a shot and you're back.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
On the feeling at the technology, right.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So yeah, so I decided to give the Army a shot,
and I don't think it was the best best decision
I made in my life. Actually, yeah, good for you.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Glad to hear that. And you were a part of
some special operations too, weren't you.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
So I was a part of the First Go War
as in air defense. As an extracurricular I also did
airborne as well.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, you jumped out of planes.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yeah, but that's that's it's not something that you know.
I wasn't dung hole about. Okay. I went to airborne
school off of a dare no way. Yeah, so but
you did it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Mad respect for you, by the way, Oh my gosh,
how can I ask how now? The the Army Golden Knights.
I had the chance to jump out with them one
time and they were at I don't know, they're teen
fourteen thousand feet when you're airborne, how high are you?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah? So about twenty and so yeah, yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
The mad respect, mad respect for you.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
You did the Army Knights. So that was fun. You
got to toil around and.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, but I did tandem with him. I mean you
were you know you probably you were with a bunch
of men and women, but I I was tandem. I
mean you were solo. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Though.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
What's uh, what's one thing they tell you when you
jump out? Like like just advice safety wise? Like what
do they tell you?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Don't die? Good advice?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Good advice?
Speaker 2 (09:42):
No, you know, you lean on your training. You know
they've trained yeah through you know, through all of that.
When you when you know, you try to start you
out with a tower and then it teach you how
to fall in. You know, yeah, forget your you know,
don't forget your training when you jump out. You got
the first rip cord that pulls and your your and
your parasyte shit yeah open. Yeah. If not, you got
another one, but that was shit open.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So you do have a backup. I've always wondered that
you do have a backup. Okay, how many years were
you in the army for?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So I was in army for six years? Okay, yeah,
six and six and a half.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, after six years, you decided, okay, time to do
something else. Or what what happened?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, so I was fortunate enough to complete most of
my education when I was in but then I was
I needed to finish up my education, so twice went
to the Middle East, first go for war, then went
to Hundurs. Then I come back and I really wanted
(10:45):
to stay stateside for a little while, but of course
the army said they got this little turn called the
needs of the army. And so no matter how much
I asked and beg if I could just stay home
for twelve months, yeah I would, I give you the
rest of.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
But they wanted to send you back over somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Okay, they couldn't make the prompt they couldn't put it
in writing, and so this is why that half a
year came. And so yeah, so I said, well, you know,
i'll see what happens. Sure enough, I came out on
orders and I said, no, I'm putting in my PaperWorks.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Where do they can? I ask? Where do they want
to send you?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So they wanted to send me back again to the
been a lease again. Yeah, and so that's when that's
when I say, you know what, I just want to
just be home for a minute. I wanted to finish
up my education and all that good stuff. So I
was in a Passo, Texas, Fort Bliss, Texas. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
So after after the Army, you went to finish up
your education and eventually you said, well, I need to
make another paycheck. Now I need to do something.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, literally, Boxer, this is the story. So I had
a car payment because I had to smoothest car in
pass What was it? Yeah, it was a Chevy Barretta.
Nice paint job. Love The Parretta had fifteen inch speakers
in it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Man, So you gotta you have a picture of that.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I'd love to. Don't have a picture my wife's I
think my wife has one and she's.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You're gonna you're gonna think I'm joking, Keith. But literally,
like just two weeks ago, I just out of the
blue because I'm a car guy and I love engines,
and I thought, man, why did Chevy have to discontinue
the Barretta.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Why they got the Barretta and the course, the course
with the four door version of it, and so so yeah, so, uh,
I had a car payment that I had to make it.
So I'm looking I'm looking for a part time job
at this point, right because again. I was enrolled in school.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Uh huh.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And I was walking across the parking lot. Here comes
the apartment manager driving in a little golf cart and
I'm dressed up going to another the interview, and she said,
where are you going? All dress stuff? But I'm like, wow,
I got an interview. I thought you was in the army.
I was, and she was like, so, do you need
a job? I said, yeah, I do. I'm want more
(13:13):
the interview, he said, well, just come and take this
test really quick. So when didn't I take a that's
a general ed test. Okay, yeah, according to her, I
scored pretty high. I couldn't believe it, but she said
I did. And so she offered me a job right
there on the spot. Her name is Marissa Grenier. She
offered me a job on the spot and said, I
will work with your school schedule. I had an interview
(13:34):
at the airport. I was gonna just toss you know,
a guy that tossed the bags or whatever. Yeah, that's
what I was going to be doing. Well, I could
work in the office. I go toss bags. And they
were iffy whether they would work with my school schedule. Oh,
so she guaranteed me to work with my school schedule.
I'm in the office. Yeah, I think I take this this.
I never made it to the other interview.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
You took the job right there, So this was this
was the point. This is your entrance into management, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, this was it?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So property management and yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I started out part time making five dollars is fifteen
cents an hour. And this is in El Paso. Okay, Yeah, yeah,
at a place called the Feenix Apartments.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So I would imagine at that level you probably learned
a whole lot that being your first entrance into property management. Yeah, yeah,
I did, probably learned everything right.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
So, as you know, working part time for the owner
was a Reek security capital group, and so I got
a chance to kind of work my way up and
work with him for a while.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
There was a VP who was an Air Force guy.
I didn't hold it against him, and.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Did you remind him that the Air Force was born
out of the army.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
But I used to tease him. I would say, you
know what, Tony, you know, we like you guys because
gave us a ride wherever we need to go.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Isn't that what the Marines say about the navyes here?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, that's what MA said about too funny, and he
would say, yeah, we we opened the door and just
kick you out. I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
That's so funny.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So how long did you stay there at this this
first job? So?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I worked for Security Capital in different roles okay, right,
for about six years.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So it sounds like you worked your way up quite
a bit at this company.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah, And so they were they were kind of breaking
the company up, right, It was a public a public company.
Another bigger company came in called Archstone, kind of bought
out a lot of it and then do the rest
of it. They kind of sold off into pieces incomes
(15:54):
a company called Cases Associates, and Casing Associates then asked
me if I wanted to come on with them, and
so I went Nortification Associates. I stayed there for over
ten years.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Was that also in Opaso or Okay?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
So they were growing to Midwest, right, So they wanted
someone that can come on and help grow to Midwest.
So out of l Paso, I became the regional VP
of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern cal Wow, and
even helped out in the other when it was breaking
(16:35):
off into Louisiana at the time kind of helped out
with that a little bit as well.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Fast forward a little bit here, because we're with Keith Jones,
who is the president and CEO of Oakwood Management Company.
Let's fast forward a little bit. Eventually you would find
yourself in central Ohio. Can I ask where were you?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Just?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Were you in El Paso just before Central Ohio or where? Okay,
so you land yourself here as president's CEO. Where was
that your title right away when you landed? No, oh,
it wasn't. Okay, So tell us about that journey.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
So my wife and I we she's a military.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Brat, okay, so she understood everything. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And so her father was actually in the same unit
I was in. Wow, and so he and he he retired,
ended up moving to Savannah, Georgia. So we're there now
in a past so, you know, not having a family.
So we say, you know, we're gonna get closer to
(17:41):
the southeast.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So I began to put out my resume to go
to the southeast and nothing happened. So this recruiter calls
me from Ohio to come work for a company called
Nice Source.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Oh yeah, Nice So.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
As a parent company of Columbia Gas. And so when
she when she called and said, first of all, like Columbus, Ohio.
The only thing I know about Columbus, Ohio is y'all
have the buck Eyes there. That's all I know.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I love ever been in the state, never been. She said, yeah,
had this huge portfolio. Meet somebody to be in charge
of the entire portfolio. So like, nice, nice source. And
so I looked, you know, I kind of looked them up,
their resource. They have their parent companies of these gas companies,
electric companies. Yeah, like Columbic Gas of Ohio, Columbia, Kentucky
(18:41):
and all this and all this real estate. I'm like, okay,
this might be something. So they are the culprits that
moved me from Pato to Columbus. So that was that was.
That was in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Fifteen, Yeah, okay, yeah, so happy ten years by the way,
happy ten years here in Columbus.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Right, clearly you like it, Actually I do. I don't
like the buck Eyes. So I want I want, I
want your fans and listeners to know your artists. No,
I don't like the buck guys.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So if we say oh to you, you're not.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Nothing I turned my back. Yeah, yeah, I don't say anything.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
He again, who's gonna mess with you? Keith Jones, Who's
gonna mess with you? Because I wouldn't so Boxer.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
The first time I heard this was I'm flying here
for an interview with with Nysoors and so I'm sitting
on the plane. I'm the guy that sits by the
window with my headphones on, sleeping, don't bother anyone, Right,
the plane lands, his stewardess comes out, Oh h They've
on the planet. I'm like, what the world what is this?
(19:58):
I thought I was in a cult, man. I didn't
know what was going on.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I've heard that. I've heard that before, y'all. I'm a
cult there in Central Aisle. So, yeah, that's great. I
love it. Eventually, you you find yourself at Oakwood Management Company.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah. So I've been there now for three and a
half years, going on for again congregates my predecessor. He
was with the company pretty much built it so a
lot of respect for John So he was there for
over forty five years. Yeah, with them, kind of built
it up, and he was retiring. So I'm the second CEO,
(20:40):
wow of a fifty three year old company.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
What looking to the future, what are the goals of
yours and Oakwood Management when it comes to just you know, housing,
because we keep hearing over and over from time to
time how we could either be in right now or
we will be and it's gonna hurt even more later
on a housing crisis.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right, this area just just keeps growing, right. The people
are moving here all the time, right, so it seems
like the housing is it's going to not be able
to keep up with the folks that that are moving here.
So our goal is to try to as much as
Central Ohio will let us not say that because some
(21:25):
judistics is it's hard to you know, to to to
building there is to continue to grow. Right as you
heard me say, we are in Dayton now, so we're
working with some partners there that are that are that
are breaking or have broken ground what I'm saying units there.
So and I know that doesn't do anything for Central Ohio.
(21:47):
But if you draw a circle around Central Ohio, it's
just it's just going to keep expanding exactly. You're going
to see some of these pockets, for instance, doubling in Marysville.
We got a lot of units planned for Marriageville as well,
you're gonn to see that pockets start to close.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Right at years. Well, wait, here's another one. I live
in the northeast side where they're doing Intel and of
course a lot a lot of the data homes, data
warehouses there for Facebook and Google. Yeah, I mean that
stretch of sixty two between New Albany and Johnstown. I'm
telling you, Eventually I see it connecting and they're all
(22:25):
just going to connect out.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
There's going to connect.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
And so we just did a ribbon cut in Sunbury.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Oh congrats, good good area.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah, so good partnership with Roman Ali and Hughes there.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
So yeah, do you And I'm not asking you to
say communities, because I don't want to put that on you,
but how does community play a role in deciding where
to build apartments at? Because I would have to imagine
this is just me looking into your world. There are
probably some communities. There's a whole lot of red tape
(23:01):
you could drown in, and do you ever go I'm
not going to mess with that. Just that's that's just
too much economic speaking. Let's let's go over here and
see does that happen all the time?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Okay? I want I want to call those communities by
name on your on air. But there are some communities
that they understand the need, they see the need, but
not you know, not in my backyard, you know, sort
of speaking, so they make it kind of tough and so,
but there are some communities that are very open and welcoming.
(23:36):
And I will call this community Mount Vernon is one Vernon. Yeah,
and so they that's.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
A great area out there in Knox County.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Yeah, I'm gonna I tell you we we went up there,
nothing with dirt, right, And so they drive me up
there and say, hey, you know, we want to do
a project. You're like, no, no, no, oh, it's like
something out of a horror movie, you know, little town.
(24:08):
And so, but the people are just great there. And
but this is how much I know, how the thirty
years have been in the business. That's the fastest least
that we've ever done in the company's history.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yep, you mean people signing up and wanting to live there.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yes, okay, before units were even ready, they were signing up.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Well yeah, Keith, what is that? What is that telling
you about that area? Then that that's where people are going.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That's one that's where people are going to that it
perhaps was under service as as as far as new
construction is concerned, and so a little bit of citement
from both I think. And so now we're in phase
two of that same project and breaking ground for a
(24:59):
third project with other parties.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
So I was just gonna ask, if you had that
that much success and now that you can see the data,
do you plan on I mean, well, let's let's expand here,
like if this is if this is where you know,
we're getting to bread or butter our bread at Let's
let's continue to do projects out this way.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yeah. So our founders, which I failed to mental, the
Kelley and Waller families are the founders of of of
Oakwood and so they're getting ready we are. We are
doing another project there that will be breaking founders is
your name. So we've been breaking grind as soon amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
By the way, has O could win management always been
apartments like since the beginning, since its start.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Yeah, apartments small multi family okay, like town Holmes kind
of you know, got started and just grew and to
what it is now just this behemoth of of of
of an organization.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, Keith, what is the hardest part about developing getting
apartments into a certain area, is it. It sounds to
me like a long process. And I know we just
talked about red tape, but what what's the toughest part
of the project.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I think the toughest part after you get through the
red tape, right, is now the lease up part of it.
I think because construction is construction. Those guys take care
of what they need to take care of. They'll move
at the speed of the weather, right, sure, and so,
but that lease up is tough because you you have
(26:46):
you want to lease it up in a decent amount
of time because you want to start getting revenue flowing,
and you know, you hope that it leads up at
a decent time. Yeah, but you really don't know. So
guys like Paul who want that marketing department come up
with all these great marketing plans and they think outside
(27:08):
the box to try to you have to, I mean,
and so, and we hope that whatever comes out of
that brain and his team's.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Brain work, no pressure, Paul, So working.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
With them and our new development team to implement what
they come up with. Yeah, and their collaboration. That's that's
the hardest part because you can't have empty units just
sitting there on the market, right, because now you have
you have owners, investors in the banks, and all of
them folks looking at you.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Sure right, Well, Keith, here's what I always wanted to know.
If it is are there price points like there are
with square footage and a home meaning if you're noticing
that for some reason, just the least scene of your
apartments has just dropped off, do you need to consider
lowering the price or getting Paul involved in the in
the marketing department? How does that work?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah? So, if if we're not hitting certain benchmarks, we
definitely look at incentives, whether it's whether it's three months
man or whether it's lord that we don't like the
lord or rich of course, but we definitely look at
that and we have done it right, So we try
to find that sweet that sweet spot, yeah, right, in
(28:23):
that particular market and each So most people think of
a market as Central Ohio general market, but there are
sub markets within Central Ohio. So we have to figure
out what's relevant in that particular sub market. Right, What
(28:44):
what the team comes up with, let's say in a
downtown sub market is going to be different than let's
say Northwest sub market. Yeah, right, because it's just it's
just totally different. Keith.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Before we wrap up sell us on oak Wood, Let's
say I'm I'm coming, I'm looking to lease an apartment.
What are some of the amenities. Oh wow, so tell
us the big ones, the big ones, Oh, the ones
that stand out, Boxer.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
We have first of all, our customer service, right.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I like that, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
We push taking care of our communities, our residents, creating
a true community feel right through activities. Now, some of
the some of the some of the amenities that you
will find with oak Wood are things like golf simulators. Wow,
indoor pools, indoor Wow.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Can I bring my dog skittles?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
You can definitely bring your dog skittles. We are definitely
a pet friendly company right from from dog dog walks,
dog washes. Oh wow. Really you can take place we
could take your dog and you can watch them, you know,
(30:06):
take care of him, grooming, dog groomers. I love that
right there, right there on on the on the on
property of course, game rooms if if you just want
to hang out and just you know, just just play games.
We have one community that has a virtual reality room.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
So yeah, wow, okay, there's stuff I met Wow, you're
rattling that stuff off, and I'm thinking, why didn't they
have this back in my twenties when I was renting
an apartment?
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Me too, right, I say the same thing exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Hey, Keith, Before we go a couple of other things,
I want to make sure people know where to go
on how to get more info on on Oakwood management
and your properties. Do you foresee we touched on a
little bit earlier with the housing, with the cost of
a home you for probably for a handful of years now,
ever since the pandemic, especially, you could sell your home
(31:07):
here and make great money off of it. But where
do you go. It's truly becoming just incredibly expensive to
buy a home that's going to shut and we're seeing it.
It's shutting people out here in central Ohio. So with that,
do you foresee more customers going into apartments until that
(31:27):
opportunity arises?
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I do, Yeah, I do, especially with the interest rates
to buying and not budget and so they are you know,
they're not the intertrates are not terribly high. They're just
not what we are we had grown accustomed to. Sure,
but the cost to build a house right has just
(31:50):
skyrocketed and so you're right, the young professionals, they're being
you know, they're being pinched a little bits as to
what's next for them. So we definitely try to cater
to them. That's why you you heard me prattle off
(32:11):
some of the amenities. It makes sense, yeah, because we
want them to have that that that feel of a
home that they would have because they would they would
want some of these things. So so yeah, it's it's
definitely tough right now.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I'm just waiting to hear when you're gonna do an
agreement with Starbucks and they're going to come into some
of these apartment I'm just want to know when Starbucks
is going to start moving in Boxer.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Yeah, we don't have Starbucks, but we have we have
a coffee vendor that you do on all of these
We spend a ton of money on coffee. I don't
if I threw out the number, you would be shocked,
you know.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Okay, well I tried.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Our residents love the coffee.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
So you have a coffee shop and a lot of.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Not a coffee just a place, a coffee area what
we got. But okay, I have these commercial type Yeah,
I'm not a coffee drinker, so if I'm standing the
wrong thing, please don't.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I know the machines you're talking about, right.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
So we have them there and they come in before
they go to work with them, and they get great
tasting coffee and they go yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And by the way, I did a price check on
those machines. I know the machines are talking about. They're
pretty standard. The if you're talking the industry coffee machines,
they're thousands of dollars.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
There are thousands of dollars.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Well, like, okay, full disclosure. I was at Disneyland, was
at one of their hotels, and I'm like, so they're like, oh,
we just got this machine. I'm like, wow, it's it's amazing.
Wonder what these go for. I'm thinking, oh, it'd be
great to have this in my kitchen. Twenty thousand dollars.
I'm like, Nope, that's a little beyond my price points.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Now the ones we get a not twenty thousand, okay,
that's a top tier. We get like the middle tier. Okay, right,
And so yeah, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Great that you offer that. Hey, Keith, I've taken up
so much your time. We could continue to go even
further with this for those that are looking for a
place or you know, to lease. Where can we find
oak Wood at your socials and your website?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Real simple, Liveoakwood dot com, Liveokwood dot com. That's our website,
and I believe they can get to the socials from there.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's super easy. It's probably towards the bottom
or Keith. This has been very enlightening. I didn't know
what to expect or what we were going to learn.
I felt like I my goal is to always have
people that are listening learn something new about the industry
that our guest is in. And I feel like at
least I did. We learned quite a bit today, So
really appreciate your time. Glad you're enjoying Columbus. Happy tenth
(34:48):
year anniversary. Maybe eventually we can get you to say, ioh,
not going happen. What if if you express martiniz and uh,
you won't cave? No, no, no, okay, boxer.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
I've been to a few of the OSU games. Yeah,
I kid you not. I wear my Florida State parapherne
to the games.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
You do not?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yes? I do?
Speaker 1 (35:17):
What do people say?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Some of them have said stuff like are you in
the wrong stadium now? Last year when we had a
really down season, they didn't say too much. Well, sorry
for you, right, this year might be a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Watch watch they come here for the playoffs, right, Oh,
that would be amazing. Well, Keith, this has been a
real pleasure. Let's keep in touch. Keith Jones, the President
and CEO of Oakwood Management Company. Thanks for your timer,
Thanks for being a guest on CEOs You Should Know.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Thanks Boxer, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
CEO As You Should Know is hosted and produced by
Brandon Boxer, a production of iHeartMedia, Columbus
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