OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (5/508) – Retail real estate industry veteran Michael L. Murphy has joined R.J. Brunelli & Co., Inc. as a strategic project manager for the brokerage’s key shopping center leasing and retail site selection projects.

Over the course of a 36-year career, Murphy has served in a variety of senior level positions at major shopping center and retail companies. Prior to joining R.J. Brunelli, he was president of M2 Retail Advisors, New Hope, Penn., a consulting firm providing feasibility analyses, merchandising and leasing services for developers building new shopping centers or acquiring existing properties. The firm also provided a variety of real estate services for a diverse group of apparel, footwear, home furnishings and restaurant chains.

From 1990 to 1994, Murphy was vice president, leasing for Kravco Company, King of Prussia, Penn., where he was responsible for all real estate and leasing activity for the developer’s portfolio of 26 regional and 14 community shopping centers comprising 35 million square feet. During that time, he played a key role in the renovation, expansion and remerchandising of The Court and Plaza at King of Prussia.

From 1980 to 1989, he was senior vice president, director for Mrs. Fields’ Cookies, Salt Lake City, Utah. In that role, he led all aspects of corporate marketing and store development during a period in which the chain grew from three stores to 700 locations in the United States and five foreign countries.

Murphy began his career in 1972 with Ernest W. Hahn, Inc., San Diego Calif., as marketing director at Fashion Place Mall in Salt Lake City, and went on to serve as operations manager and later general manager/leasing director for major malls in Virginia and California.

A resident of New Hope, Murphy graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in marketing/advertising/public relations. He holds the International Council of Shopping Center’s (ICSC) Senior Certified Leasing Specialist and Senior Certified Shopping Center Manager designations, and was a faculty member of the association’s School for Professional Development from 1991-1995. He also holds a New Jersey Real Estate License.

R.J. Brunelli & Co. serves as exclusive leasing representative for 29 existing retail properties and four centers under construction with a combined gross leasable area (GLA) of approximately 3.0 million square feet, along with 11 projects in the approvals stage with more than 1.08 million square feet of GLA. The properties are located throughout northern, central and southern New Jersey. The firm also serves as exclusive real estate representative in various New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania counties for more than 20 retail, restaurant and service chains, including such companies as Houlihan’s, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Sally Beauty, Strauss Discount Auto, Tuesday Morning, Ulta, Sixth Avenue Electronics, Turning Point, and Work Out World.

For additional information on the firm’s services, contact Richard Brunelli, president, R.J. Brunelli & Co., Inc., 400 Perrine Road, Suite 405, Old Bridge, N.J. 08857. Telephone is (732) 721-5800.

####
Press contacts: At R.J. Brunelli & Co., Inc., Richard J. Brunelli, president, (732) 721-5800; at Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness or Lisa Kreda (732) 290-0121.