Ingram's October 2023

RICHARD CHAVES PARKING COMPANY OF AMERICA

LUKE ECKLEY APOLLO INSURANCE GROUP

JOHN FAUR NEWMARK ZIMMER

If you’ve been track ing the growth of Apollo Insurance Group in recent ye ars, you might be familiar with the name. You are not familiar with the

Commercial real estate brokerage, as a profession, prob- ably has the most universal embrace of entrepreneur ship as any sector you can think

Richard Chaves points to a key suc- cess factor that many a CEO would do well to embrace: “Realizing I don’t know what I don’t know, and hiring

of—it is, as John Faur says, known as an “eat what you kill” environment, and as such, “entrepreneurship is the spirit of our industry.” It requires a high level of goal orientation, self-motivation, and tenacity, he says, “starting from zero and growing your real estate practice and Rolodex every day by providing top-quality service to your clients.” Those traits have helped him, at age 25, complete more than $100 million in commercial transactions totaling more than 2 million square feet. Working with small businesses as well as Fortune 500 Companies, he says, not only helps them attain organizational goals, it produces a personal benefit: “I get to cross over and learn from other entrepreneurs that have successfully star ted their own businesses.”

company, though—because it’s not the same one it was last year or the year before. It’s getting bigger every year: 150 percent over the past three years. Luke Eckley, 27, has contributed to that as chief revenue officer for the family-owned enterprise, which now stands among the Top 15 biggest indepen dent insurance agencies in the region, with nearly $200 million in annual premium volume. “Entrepreneurship,” he says, “is leadership.” His MBA work at Rockhurst University exposed him to various styles, including trench leadership. “A lot like in battle, you have two types of leaders: the King on a horse behind his army telling his people what to do and the leader in the trenches, leading from the front and pushing his people forward. I knew right away which leader I wanted to be and why.”

the necessary experts in those areas,” says the 28-year-old CEO of Parking Company of America, which provides corporate parking-management services. Armed with that awareness, and what he says is the trust and backing of his family and business partners, he’s been able to secure incentives and deliver on a $100 million commercial development—with $400 million in deals in the pipeline. Much of his initial inspiration came from watch ing his father’s grit in running a family business. Chaves also credits a robust ecosystem of law firms, consultants, banks, and real estate professionals for the firm’s growth: “Local firms can really help a business that is new to the area cut through a lot of red tape on a project.”

Congratulations, Richard!

“Richard, the family is very proud of the leadership you have shown in Kansas City and our other markets. It has been such a rewarding experience watching you and your siblings lead this company into the next generation. I’ve known since you were young that your com- petitive drive would serve you well. I love you son.” — Richard Chaves, Sr.

972-251-0440 12200 N. Ambassador Dr., Ste. 100

Kansas City, MO 64163 www.pcaparking.com

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October 2023

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