Hawkeye Commercial Real Estate

Family and business have always been an important part of the Gellerman tradition. That’s because their business, originating in Rock Island, IL was born from family, starting with founder, Herb Gellerman. In 1947, Herb and a partner became pioneers in the wholesale distribution business with the formation of Jaydon, Inc. In 1962, Herb Gellerman made his first move at diversifying into real estate. He and another partner formed Hawkeye Real Estate Investment Company. Hawkeye began building and investing in multi-family projects in the Iowa City/Coralville markets. As the company grew, it began branching into retail, office and industrial properties. Herb and Jay’s efforts paid off because 67 years later, the family business they began is now in the hands of a third generation who continue to honor its humble beginnings and entrepreneurial spirit by evolving, remaining relevant and with a firm eye on the future. After the family sold Jaydon in 2000, Jay’s son, David, and son-in law, Jim Tansey, turned their efforts toward cultivating and growing their commercial investments, management, consulting, and brokerage business through Hawkeye in the Iowa City/Coralville area. Along with mentor and friend David Weiner, the group served the Quad Cities through an affiliation with Ruhl Commercial until their recent move to expand their offerings and join forces with Russell and Lockard Companies. Hawkeye’s decision to establish the first Eastern Iowa-Western Illinois office for Lockard is a logical evolution for this family business. “We believe in commercial real estate. We understand what is important to our investor clients, because we are also investors,” says Jim Tansey. “Our affiliation with Lockard and Russell bring resources and capabilities to the table that will directly benefit our investor, developer and contractor clients. We see many opportunities to advance commercial brokerage in the Quad Cities and Iowa City/Coralville markets.”