This week I am delighted to interview Alan Cerro, Vice President of Acquisition & Development for Dutra-Cerro-Graden.

In addition to his role as a founding partner of Dutra-Cerro-Graden, Alan is a Managing Partner of Lighthouse Development Company, LLC, which was founded in 2000 to focus attention on real estate development in California's Central Valley. He is also the co-owner and CEO of San Mateo-based C & V Investment Company.

Alan's career in real estate began in high school when he managed property for his father's real estate development firm and has evolved to include his involvement in a significant number of residential and commercial development projects.
 
Roe:  Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur?

Alan:  I guess I kind of stumbled into it.  But now I can’t imagine any other way to earn a living.

Roe:  What has been the toughest experience so far?

Alan:  While it hasn’t affected our firm that dramatically, it has been hard to watch the housing downturn and the widespread damage it has done to industry colleagues and friends.

Roe:  What are the perks or what have you enjoyed about being an entrepreneur?

Alan:  Being able to tailor our business plan on the fly to take advantage of opportunities in the market.  We are constantly seeking new and creative ways to differentiate ourselves.

Roe:  What is your business venture (elevator pitch)?

Alan:  We are a Real Estate development firm focused on entitling property in key Bay Area target markets.  We sell our projects to builders after we have obtained Tentative or Final Map approvals.  We also specialize in providing Land Use Analysis to Mission-Based entities such as Churches, School Districts and Not for Profit organizations.  Our Commercial Brokerage division handles the disposition and leasing side of our business.
 
Dutra-Cerro-Graden is a commercial real estate and land development company with operations in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Founded by three industry leaders, Dominic Dutra, Alan Cerro, and Landis Graden, the firm brings decades of experience in dealing with land, asset and development opportunities. Their competitive advantage in the market is their understanding of the land development and entitlement process and their ability to use this knowledge to assist clients in achieving key organizational objectives.  Their offices are in Hayward, California at 22551 Second Street, Suite 255.

Lean more about Tri-Valley business. Check out these great videos from the mayor of Dublin, Tim Sbranti.  Mayor Tim talks about Tri-Valley entrepreneurs and how the TVIN is contributing to helping these entrepreneurs succeed.

Interview with Mayor Tim