VERSA Development

Led by industry veterans Todd Wyett, Steve Robinson and Greg Erne, VERSA Development is a national real estate firm with a focus on development and acquisition of high-performance assets. A results-driven company, VERSA Development is known for the timely execution of its real estate deals, whether ground-up development, a turn-around project or the purchase of an asset. Working to balance all stakeholder goals, VERSA is committed to balancing community visions with each project’s economic success. VERSA emphasizes collaborative solutions as it develops, acquires and manages its many commercial, industrial and residential projects. Built on a foundation of integrity and trust, the Versa team continuously leverages its extensive network of relationships with financial industry leaders, architects, engineers, builders and public officials to meet the needs of a variety of industry sectors.

Real Estate Specialization
Office
Industrial
Retail
Health Care
Investment Type
Acquisition/Fee Simple
Investment Style
Value-add
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Principal

Todd Wyett

Todd A. Wyett began his career in the corporate department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a global law firm in New York City after graduating from Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C. He later served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Arbor Drugs, Inc., a publicly held chain of more than 230 stores acquired by CVS in 1998 for $1.5 billion. With a diversified approach that mirrors VERSA Development’s strategy, Wyett has been active in real estate development, land entitlement and property management since 1995 and involved with alternative fuel innovation since 2006. Wyett specializes in land and infrastructure development of industrial, commercial and multi-family residential properties, and has created Michigan and Ohio projects exceeding $200 million in value. Developments include several large industrial parks, a mixed-use project on 110 acres, shopping centers and manufactured home communities. Public service positions include: Appointed in June 2011 to the Board of Trustees of Detroit Public Television. Appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in January 2011 to the Michigan State Transportation Commission, whose role is to develop and implement policy and transportation plans for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Appointment by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2008 to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) board and executive committee, where he served until December 2010. In this oversight position, Wyett helped shape policies for state site location assistance, job training grants, tourism promotion and business retention, expansion and relocation projects. Appointed by Gov. Granholm to the Michigan State Wetlands Advisory Council in January 2010 to represent the interests of business throughout the State of Michigan for the purpose of evaluating Michigan's wetland program and providing recommendations for improvement to the Governor, the Legislature and the MDEQ. Appointment by Gov. Granholm to the Michigan State Waterways Commission from 2005-07, including a year as its elected chairman. Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority in Lyon Township, where he was a member for six years. Selection by County Executive L. Brooks Patterson for the Oakland County Business Roundtable transportation and infrastructure and land use advisory group. Wyett graduated from Milton Academy in Massachusetts and Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, MI, and previously served on the Board of the Founders Junior Council at The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Jewish Community Centers of Metropolitan Detroit.

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Principal

Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson built his career from the ground up, achieving success with the same diligence that VERSA Development applies to transform promising opportunities into productive investments. As a lifelong believer in responsible use of land to help communities balance market pressures with planning visions, Robinson is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, Detroit Urban Land Institute and International Council of Shopping Centers. He was past president of the Michigan Association of Planning and served on the board of directors of the organization for seven years. Robinson currently serves on the board of Tamarack Camps. Community recognition includes being selected by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2006 as one of “40 Under 40” notable young business leaders. The son of a Metro Detroit builder, Robinson earned a civil engineering degree from Michigan Technological University with construction management as his academic focus.

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Principal

Gregory J Erne

With more than 18 years of experience in the real estate industry, Gregory J. Erne has developed, acquired and managed over 18 million square feet of real estate assets and played a key role in over $1 billion in transactions including retail centers, medical centers and office developments throughout the United States. Erne began his career in the early 1990s as an architectural designer in commercial real estate. Since then, he’s held a variety of key management positions in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial enterprises to large corporations. Most recently he founded Beverly Hills, Michigan-based HELM Realty Partners. The company invested in commercial real estate primarily in the retail and healthcare sectors. In 2013, VERSA Development merged with HELM Realty Partners in an effort to capitalize more efficiently on opportunities in the market and to aggressively position the company for continued growth. In addition to his professional duties, Erne is very active with many local non-profit organizations including HAVEN and Cystic Fibrosis, giving his time and energy to important causes. A former board member of Preservation Wayne, Erne also serves as a state board member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), a trustee of the Michigan Architectural Foundation and is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Erne holds his real estate salesperson license from the State of Michigan.

Key Focus Areas
Acquisitions Asset Management Construction Development Property Management Real Estate Investing
Geographical Area
Mapped Location