 Tom
Oliver faces challenging situations just about every day.
However, with a little help from his friends at PGW, he and
several of his tenants have managed to profit from one of
those challenges. As president of Willard Realty, he owns
an old manufacturing building in North Philadelphia where
his family once used the entire facility to weave thread into
fabric. With new textile technology booming, Willard no longer
needed the site's quarter-million square feet of space to
support the family firm. Not wanting to lose the property,
Willard had an idea for the unused space. Why not develop
a mini industrial mall where smaller, entrepreneurial companies
could secure solid manufacturing space at a reasonable price?
The idea worked, thus launching Willard Realty.
Willard was pleased with the company's growth. One of his
main concerns, however, lay in retaining his tenants. In
order to do so, he had to maintain costs. PGW proposed that
Willard change the heating system from oil to a dual-fuel
natural gas/oil system. Convinced that converting would
save money on heating, lower maintenance costs and also
improve the environment, Willard approved the decision.
Due to the dramatic upturn in heating oil prices, he was
able to recoup his investment in just one heating season.
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