Midtown-based Carter completes several deals, rebranding process

Investment, development and advisory firm Carter announced this past week that it has closed on approximately $100 million in equity development deals aligned with its streamlined focus on investment, development and advisory services.

The company, headquartered at 171 17th Street, plans to start construction on another $200 million by early 2013. Simultaneously, the company unveiled a new brand identity that includes a refreshed logo, new imaging and an updated website – all aligned with the new focus.

The new developments are HighPoint at Columbus Commons, a $50 million residential project with retail in downtown Columbus, Ohio; Phase II of The Banks in downtown Cincinnati ($73 million); Highland Square, a $40 million student housing project in Oxford, Miss.; and more than $100 million worth of projects in Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Last year, Carter announced it would focus on equity development in student housing, multifamily and mixed-use projects in core areas; value-add office investment opportunities; education-oriented project management; and an expanded strategic consulting/advisory services practice.

“Our new developments in Ohio, Michigan and Mississippi are part of the plan we announced nine months ago and indicative of what Carter is today,” Scott Taylor, president of Carter, said in a news release. “As our firm changed, we needed to refresh our identity and brand, and we’ve done that as well.”

Carter’s new logo and tagline – Built on Bold - highlight Carter’s core value proposition and its streamlined, three-pronged plan to invest, develop, advise. The company’s new look blends bold colors and contours, reflecting an innovative, creative company and one renowned for its bold approach to creating value for its clients.The new tagline embodies the company’s visionary history and landmark projects.

“It’s a new chapter in our story and we wanted to use the opportunity to clearly communicate our strategy, initiatives and progress to properly reflect who we have become,” Carter Chairman and CEO Bob Peterson said in the release. “Carter has a 55-year history of being bold, being right and being committed to our community and associates. Our refreshed brand identity reflects these attributes.”

The new tagline and look speak to nearly six decades of Carter’s innovation, creativity, passion – and bold vision. Simultaneously, the look and tagline capture the energy and confidence as the renowned Atlanta company pioneers initiatives in the investment, development and advisory services arenas.

Carter seized the opportunity to refresh its image and brand after selling its property management groups to Cassidy Turley last year. Carter commenced an extensive process to create a brand identity that could be leveraged to convey Carter’s new narrowed focus to the marketplace while acknowledging the company’s history.

“By involving clients and all Carter employees, we gained insight that helped guide us through the process and redefine what makes us unique and valuable to our clients and what makes us a leader in the commercial real estate industry,” said Malloy Peterson, Carter’s senior vice president of marketing and strategic consulting who spearheaded the rebranding efforts. “With the process complete, we now can leverage our brand identity to increase the momentum we’ve already built with our new projects and other exciting ones to be announced soon.”

- Carter contributed to this story