In today’s Four on Friday, we chat with Duke Sullivan, founder of South Harbor Capital LLC. Duke recounts his career in commercial real estate and also details his admirable involvement with the Back on My Feet organization and his love of a certain carbohydrate. Many thanks to Duke for his time!
Give us an overview of South Harbor Capital.
Sullivan: South Harbor Capital is a single-member LLC. I basically partner with other entities and individuals in retail real estate transactions. Primarily, I work with the firm Corporate Property Dispositions LLC in helping The Home Depot dispose of its excess real estate, and Bryan Fields and myself are the outsource real estate department for the PGA TOUR Superstore. We also do some shopping center development.
What led you to pursue a career in commercial real estate, and where did you work in the years before founding South Harbor?
Sullivan: I started out my career as a commercial real estate lawyer working for a REIT, and after that I worked for a small boutique real estate law firm before eventually joining The Home Depot. I was the first real estate lawyer Home Depot hired, and I eventually moved over to the business side. After 14 terrific years at The Home Depot, I decided to make a change and eventually ended up forming South Harbor.
You're an avid runner who puts your love of that form of recreation to good use as the board chair of the Atlanta chapter of Back on My Feet. Explain the mission of the organization and why you find it so worthwhile.
Sullivan: Back on My Feet Atlanta is a non-profit that uses running to help those experiencing homelessness change the way they see themselves so they can make real change in their lives that results in employment and independent living.
Volunteers get up to run at 5:45 a.m. three times every week with residents of four Atlanta homeless shelters (The Gateway Center, Salvation Army, Trinity House and the City of Refuge). The program is a great source of empowerment and camaraderie for the volunteers (who we call “non-res members”) and the residential members. We have been able to assist many of our residential members in obtaining employment and achieving other goals such as running in half and full marathons.
If you could have only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sullivan: Pasta with marinara sauce.