From Women’sEnterprise USA, “We as woman know how to start a business, handle a family and make a million (or billion) dollars while we’re at it.”

The President of MKAssociates, Inc., Michelle R. Kilby and her firm has been recognized by Women’s Enterprise USA as one of the leading woman-owned enterprises in today’s challenging and competitive business world. This acknowledgement is one of great achievement and honor. The strong credentials, determination, and outstanding business ethics that Michelle Kilby has will continue to rise above the rest.

This is definitely The Year of the Woman!

MKA Makes News Headlines: Deal of theYear Award

Business Chronicle - REITS & Finance

"Team Makes History in Sale of Wells Properties", Tonya Layman - Contributing Writer

Successfully disposing of 32 investment properties in 26 cities in a transaction totaling 6.5 million square feet worth $786 million takes cooperation among all parties and a lot of coordination. Getting it done with mostly women players is a history-making event.

"It was a huge deal for us," said Sharon Ward, vice president of the Dispositions Group at Wells Real Estate Investment Trust Inc., which sold off the property. "The sale represented the largest single sale in history by a non traded REIT."

The transaction was named "Deal of the Year" by CREW . The award recognizes four companies for their efforts: Wells REIT, Troutman Sanders LLP, Chicago Title and MKAssociates, Inc.

After an internal evaluation , Wells REIT identified properties in its portfolio for strategic disposition. With the assistance of Troutman Sanders, these properties were positioned with clean legal histories and void of title issues. Eastdil Realty went to market with a portfolio of 32 properties in 26 cities, totaling 6.5 million square feet, on behalf of Wells. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust was chosen as the purchaser. Troutman Sanders worked closely with Chicago Title and MKAssociates, throughout this process by providing land surveys and binders for each property.

The contract was signed and closed in less than seven weeks . The $786 million transaction involved the following six CREW - Atlanta members: Ward; Ginger Griffith, former director of closing at Wells Real Estate; Leslie Secrest, partner with Troutman Sanders; Susannah Frost, associate with Troutman Sanders; Andrea Rimer, partner at Troutman Sanders; and Melissa Hall, title and escrow agent with Chicago Title.

This detailed and time-consuming deal also involved a CREW - Washington, D.C., member, Michelle Kilby, president of MKAssociates, who provided survey coordination services for all of the properties.

Secrest and Griffith suggested Kilby's company for the work because they had just met her after some visits she made with Atlanta CREW members.

"A couple of months before this project kicked off, Michelle Kilby of MKAssociates gave me a cold call to see if we could use her services. Maybe six weeks later, Wells called me and said we have to get surveys on all of these properties. Ginger and I had just met her, so we thought we should give her a call and see if she was interested," Secrest said. "As it turns out, MKAssociates did a fabulous job. Michelle's company has successfully handled transactions for other clients of ours since then."

"It was a very successful sale for us. This was a deal of a lifetime for me and to be recognized for it is wonderful," Ward says