Forty Under 40: Steven Lane

Steven Lane made his way to Bentonville three years after earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1989. Previously he had worked for an engineering firm in Kansas City.nLane began building his own network in the retail community after working in the real estate department of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.n”Wal-Mart allowed me to build up a strong knowledge of how to do those deals,” Lane said.nThe Fredericktown, Mo., native worked for JDN Realty of Atlanta for two years before beginning work as a commercial broker in 2000. Two years later, he founded Lane Real Estate Services Inc. along with partner Ramsay Ball. Lane represents at least 10 retailers exclusively in this area and in surrounding states. They include: Brinker Restaurants, (On the Border, Macaroni Grill) and Ross Dress (T.J. Maxx). n”He’s probably the No. 1 leasing person in retail in Arkansas,” Ramsay Ball said.nLane said his wife, Kim Lane, a director of real estate for Wal-Mart, is his biggest influence in business.nLane serves as a tennis captain at Pinnacle Country Club and is a co-chairperson for the Salvation Army Angel Tree Committee for PCC. nn