25 Years of NAI DESCO: From Card Tables to Community Impact
Blog // October 2025
Honoring the Past, Building the Future
In the fall of 1999, four brokers from the Johnson Group — John Sheahan, Andy Port, Mark Hinds, and Dan Hayes — along with Tom Erman from Follman Properties and Peter Sheahan from The DESCO Group, decided it was time to take a leap of faith and build something of their own.
Mark Schnuck was introduced to the group and worked with his family to create a new commercial real estate brokerage firm that would complement the services offered by The DESCO Group.
That partnership made the launch of what became DESCO Commercial possible.
“Our family has always had a strong interest in real estate, and we saw NAI DESCO as an opportunity to complement The DESCO Group while broadening our reach. Supporting the launch of the firm allowed our family to expand its overall real estate presence and work alongside a team we believed in from the start.” — Mark Schnuck
The team’s first “office” was a short-term sublease at 1401 S. Brentwood Blvd. in Magna Place. It had been an attorney’s office, and the setup included whatever furniture was left behind — with the partners even bringing in card tables. That makeshift space only lasted about 45 days before the team moved to 8182 Maryland Avenue in Clayton.
Leasing space at Maryland Avenue quickly turned into a business opportunity. Through that deal, the firm began working with the building owner, Tony Novelly, who awarded them the leasing assignment for both 8182 Maryland Ave. and the adjacent new tower at 8235 Forsyth Blvd. — still under construction at the time.
“I remember touring the space with hard hats on — before the windows were even installed. That became home for the next 16 years.”
— John Sheahan
From those humble beginnings, NAI DESCO grew steadily — driven by Integrity, Passion, Results, and Respect. The foundation laid in 2000 still fuels the firm today.
A New Brokerage With Buzz
NAI DESCO’s launch created a stir in the St. Louis brokerage community. To the founders’ surprise, brokers from other firms started calling to see if they could join.
“We thought it would just be the six of us for a while — then the phone wouldn’t stop ringing.” — Dan Hayes
Among the new recruits was Floyd Sweeney, whose long-standing relationship with NAI Global founder Gerry Finn helped the firm achieve one of its early goals: securing a national affiliation within the first year. That milestone gave NAI DESCO a global reach for its clients.
“There wasn’t a master plan. Things just fell into place — and we ran with it.” — John Sheahan
Resilience in Challenging Times
The early 2000s weren’t an easy time to start a company. The dot-com bubble burst, followed by the tragic events of 9/11, disrupted markets across the country. But NAI DESCO pressed forward, continued serving clients and growing steadily.
A Legacy of Community Impact
Over the past 25 years, NAI DESCO has grown from six brokers working at card tables into one of the most respected commercial real estate firms in the region. Along the way, the team has played a role in projects that reshaped communities and redefined corridors across St. Louis:
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- Northwest Plaza (2012): Brokered the sale of Missouri’s largest mall and later helped redevelop it into The Crossings at Northwest.
- Hadley Township (2013–2016): Represented Menards in assembling more than 100 parcels in Richmond Heights — a century-old neighborhood originally built for brick factory workers — one of the most complex redevelopment efforts in the region.
- Chrysler Plant (2014): Represented the sale of the 294-acre Chrysler Plant site in Fenton, paving the way for the new Fenton Logistics Park.
“It’s powerful to look back at the deals that changed entire corridors — each one a turning point for our clients and for St. Louis.” — Peter Sheahan
Our Values, Then and Now
From the start, NAI DESCO has been guided by four core values: Integrity, Passion, Results, and Respect. These principles shaped the company’s beginnings and continue to define how we serve clients, support colleagues, and contribute to the communities we call home.
Looking Ahead
From a borrowed office in Brentwood to some of the region’s most transformative projects, the story of NAI DESCO is one of resilience, relationships, and results.
As we celebrate 25 years, we’re grateful to every client, partner, and colleague who has been part of our journey — and we’re excited for the future.
NAI DESCO remains committed to helping clients shape the future of St. Louis commercial real estate. Here’s to the next 25 years — and beyond.
Timeline: 25 Years of Milestones
2000 – Four brokers from the Johnson Group — John Sheahan, Andy Port, Mark Hinds, and Dan Hayes — along with Tom Erman from Follman Properties and Peter Sheahan from The DESCO Group — partnered with Mark Schnuck and his family to launch DESCO Commercial.
Opened first office at 1401 S. Brentwood Blvd., later relocated to 8182 Maryland Avenue in Clayton.
2001 – Moved into 8235 Forsyth Blvd. (Merrill Lynch Centre), which served as home for the next 16 years. Secured an NAI Global affiliation within the first year and officially became NAI DESCO.
2003 – Completed Eureka Commons, a Schnucks-anchored retail development, and represented MCI in a major office transaction.
2004 – Sold a 270,106 SF baking plant for General Mills and represented a logistics client in leasing two large distribution facilities — 402,192 SF in St. Peters and 241,448 SF in Hazelwood.
2005 – Assembled seven city parcels to create Loughborough Commons, a key urban redevelopment anchored by Schnucks.
2006 – Completed the Belleville Crossing assemblage (90 acres), a Home Depot and Target–anchored retail center.
2011 – Acquired the St. Louis brokerage division of Coldwell Banker Commercial, adding seven brokers. Carl Conceller joined as a Principal.
2012 – Brokered the sale and redevelopment of Northwest Plaza, Missouri’s largest mall, into The Crossings at Northwest.
2013–2016 – Represented Menards in major site acquisitions throughout Missouri and Illinois. Completed the 103-parcel Hadley Township assemblage in Richmond Heights.
2014 – Represented the seller in the sale of the 294-acre Chrysler Plant site in Fenton, paving the way for Fenton Logistics Park.
2015 – Brokered the $34 million sale of The Cedars of Town & Country senior living facility (now Mason Point).
2016 – A landmark year for NAI DESCO, marked by significant growth and new opportunities. The firm expanded its headquarters to 101 S. Hanley Rd., doubling office space and launching a third-party asset-management division. Bill Barnes became a Principal as the company grew to 30 brokers and ranked among the Top 5 commercial real estate firms in St. Louis.
2017 – Represented NorthPoint Development, the region’s largest industrial developer, in the 330-acre assemblage for TradePort Industrial Park — a 4,000,000 SF industrial development project in Hazelwood.
2018 – Represented the buyer in the $40 million purchase of The Parkway Hotel (219 rooms) in the Central West End — NAI DESCO’s largest deal to date.
2020 – Relocated during the COVID-19 pandemic to 8112 Maryland Avenue, the firm’s current headquarters.
2020–2023 – Pre-leased and fully leased Commerce Tower in Clayton, achieving 99% occupancy at completion.
2022 – Michelle Goodwin became a Principal, one of the few female partners of a St. Louis CRE firm, marking a significant milestone in the firm’s leadership growth. Represented Gray Media Group (KMOV), in relocating offices and studios to Maryland Heights. Closed the largest multifamily transaction in company history — the sale of Legends Apartments in Eureka, MO.
2025 – Represented NorthPoint Development in the acquisition of 179 acres in Maryland Heights.
Marking 25 years of client success, community impact, and enduring partnerships — with heartfelt appreciation to the Schnuck family for their trust, support, and friendship, and to long-standing clients including Schnucks, Kohl’s, Target, Commerce Bank, and Raising Cane’s, among many others.
From local roots to regional impact, we’re proud to have served St. Louis for 25 years — and we’re just getting started. Learn how NAI DESCO can support your next project → Contact NAI DESCO!
