CCC chapter hosts quarterly events for industry execs

The Northwest Arkansas chapter of Contractors, Closers and Connections (CCC), an invitation-only networking organization for executives in the commercial real estate and construction industries, launched in 2024. It’s the only one in Arkansas.

The organization’s founders comprise a mix of business leaders from the Northwest Arkansas and Kansas City metro areas.

Addison Bliss, principal architect at Veritas Architecture + Design; Chris Collins, senior business consultant at Olsson; Ravonne John, a Realtor in Northwest Arkansas at the Sudar Group; Brian Wagers, CEO of Rogers-based multifamily investment firm Wagers Capital; and members of the Kansas City chapter co-founded the Northwest Arkansas CCC chapter. The Atlanta-based organization has more than 20 chapters across the country.

Jose Socorro, regional director of Jan Pro of Arkansas, is a member of the Northwest Arkansas chapter’s leadership team. He joined shortly after it was started, at John’s invitation.

“There’s a CCC Kansas City chapter that has been running for a while, and they decided to start one in Northwest Arkansas,” Socorro said. “They approached a few individuals in the commercial real estate space. Brian Wagers is one of them.”

After the first two events in 2024, Socorro said Kansas City chapter members who helped launch the chapter here “transitioned out and let Northwest Arkansas run it as there were enough leaders at that point within Northwest Arkansas to help support and run the chapter.”

The chapter’s leadership team comprises eight people who have backgrounds in real estate, engineering and architecture.

Along with Bliss, Collins, John, Socorro and Wagers, the other leadership team members are Jason Eldridge, assistant vice president at Emery Sapp & Sons; Brandon Hurst, executive project director of restoration services company Kustom US; and Taylor Mingolla, business development director at Veritas Architecture + Design.

Socorro said Wagers and Hurst are the managing partners of the area chapter, providing financial support to sustain the chapter in Northwest Arkansas and fund its operations. The chapter grows through ticket sales and sponsorships.

The new chapter was started because of the area’s growth potential attributed to Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services being based here as well as the construction taking place in Northwest Arkansas, such as the expansion of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Socorro said. The growth drew the interest of the Kansas City chapter. Also, some leaders of Northwest Arkansas-based companies who do business outside the area attended other CCC gatherings and wanted to bring that here.

UNIQUE ASPECTS
He said the chapter here is unique from other CCC chapters because most are in large cities and naturally have more attendees.

“Northwest Arkansas has a family vibe and dynamics that make it very unique. That feedback was shared from attendees and members of the Kansas City chapter, who recognized that after the first event. In big cities they do a lot of production, a lot of entertainment. In Northwest Arkansas, there’s still a family focus, and because of that, the way we approach events … is going to be very different … It’s a casual gathering, but there’s still some formality to it.”

The area chapter hosts quarterly networking events split between Benton and Washington counties. The events typically run from 5 to 8 p.m. He said most chamber events take place during the workday, and many in the construction and real estate industries cannot attend because of their schedules and projects.

“The events take place after hours, which is usually quitting time for most,” Socorro said. “There is some crossover between attendees at CCC events and chamber events, but what we’ve seen at the CCC events is that the vendors get to meet and talk, get to discuss things they’re working on, bottlenecks they’re coming across with a project, or maybe learning some best practices and how to resolve issues with municipalities.”

The events are invitation-only because the focus is on vendors in the commercial real estate sector and that the attendees work in some aspect of it, Socorro said. “We really don’t want to make it … a speed-dating type of networking event. We want to make sure our attendees do work in the space in some way, shape or form, and they carry themselves professionally where they’re not overbearing.”

FINDING SOLUTIONS
The Northwest Arkansas CCC chapter averages more than 100 attendees per event, Socorro said. The cost is usually $125 per event.

The first hour includes networking, drinks and appetizers. The second hour comprises the program, featuring a panel of speakers and a moderator to guide the conversation. The events end with more networking.

He said recent panels have comprised business and governmental leaders and bringing together leaders from both sectors has helped bridge a gap and provided information to attendees and sponsors. The events can also serve as a resource for understanding potential challenges to bringing projects to fruition and for finding solutions.

Also during the second hour, the CCC chapter recognizes an area nonprofit and makes a donation to it. The chapter selects nonprofits located within the county in which the event is hosted.

“We work to be a giving-back group, as many other groups are in the area, and Northwest Arkansas is a giving community,” Socorro said. “One of the great things about CCC is that in the 20-plus chapters across the country, they also have very similar focuses and initiatives to give back to the community.”

He said Springdale-based Hope Cancer Resources was the nonprofit the chapter recognized at its fourth-quarter event in early November.

“I happen to know a few individuals who work there,” he said. “I’ve done some work with them in the past, and some of my board members have had some interaction or experience with them at one point or another in years past. So we picked them.”

The chapter’s first-quarter event will take place in January at the Garden Room in Fayetteville. The speaker panel will include business and city leaders.

After attending an event, attendees are typically on the email list to participate in other events, Socorro said. The area chapter also has a website and a LinkedIn site providing information about upcoming events.

MAKING CONNECTIONS
Megan Lahay, vice president and commercial relationship manager at Encore Bank in Fayetteville, began attending the events early this year. Wagers and Socorro invited her because of the relationships she’s developed with them and her role as a community banker.

“I’ve been a banker for over 18 years,” Lahay said. “I try to be intentional with my time because I am pulled in so many different directions and asked to be a part of different networking organizations. With CCC, I love that when you attend one of their events, the room’s filled with people who are seasoned professionals but also people who are just starting off in their careers looking to network and make those connections.”

She’s met people at the events with whom she has connected professionally and become friends. She’s also joined other groups and grown as a banker.

“There’s so much room for growth in the commercial real estate realm,” Lahay said. “I think it’s great to be able to meet these younger individuals, young professionals who are just getting involved and try to act as a mentor and guide to them but then also just continue to keep those connections alive with people who I’ve known for years.”

She said the first event she attended provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Onyx Coffee Lab headquarters in Rogers.

“Every time I leave one of the events, I just feel like I’ve learned something new from someone that’s in our industry but then also have gotten to see or experience a new venue or location in Northwest Arkansas that I haven’t been able to see yet in person,” Lahay said. “It just makes business more intentional and personal again. I also really do enjoy that every time we meet when we purchase a ticket to one of their quarterly events, a portion of those proceeds goes to benefit a charity here in our local market.”

Dan Smith, a commercial real estate broker at Colliers Arkansas in Rogers, said he’s been involved with the area chapter since the start and attended the first event in 2024 after Collins invited him to attend. He and Collins often work together.

Smith said he primarily handles land brokerage for development, including multifamily, single-family and retail, and CCC has allowed him to make connections he wouldn’t have otherwise made. And he continues to connect with people he’s met at the events. He noted that land brokerage deals take a long time to complete, but that he might have a deal in the works.

“I think the vibe of that event is that we’re not just there to socialize,” Smith said. “People who are there want to try and do business together.”

He said many networking events are helpful, but the “deal-driven” aspect of CCC sets it apart from others.

“The attitude is, ‘Hey, let’s talk for a second, and figure out if there’s a way to help each other,’” he said. “And if there’s not, then maybe there’s an introduction we can make to somebody else who can help.”