Real Estate Veteran Vaeth joins TMM as president

TM Montante Development (TMM) has revealed a key addition to its executive leadership team with the hiring of Tim Vaeth as president. "We currently have record high occupancy rates, increasing demand for more space from our existing tenant base, and we are undertaking historic rehab projects in downtown Buffalo. In addition, our solar company, Montante Solar, is experiencing exponential growth year over year since 2009," said Tom Montante, CEO of TMM. "We have hit a critical milestone in our business that required us to expand and seek out additional talent and leadership. After meeting Tim for the first time, it didn't take long for us to recognize that he is absolutely the person we were looking for," Montante said. Vaeth comes to TMM most recently from Ciminelli Development where he was vice president of development, overseeing all "ground up" development projects for the company. Vaeth worked on a variety of projects at Ciminelli, from adaptive reuse and historic renovation to LEED certification, as well as large land development undertakings. He is fluent in land use entitlements, SEQRA, brownfield remediation and green-sustainable design. In fact, he was the first LEED Accredited Professional at Ciminelli, creating and implementing Ciminelli's Green Best Practices plan and Construction Management Protocol. Tim's experience will enhance TMM's overall capabilities, but more specifically, he will have significant influence on the successful completion of the Planing Mill rehab project (former Spaghetti Warehouse) in downtown Buffalo, as well as the expansion of Riverview Solar Technology Park in Tonawanda. "I have no doubt that Tim will complement our existing team of talented individuals," said Matt Montante, Chief Operating Officer of TMM. "But clearly it was his demonstrated experience on completed developments throughout the region that provided us with confidence in Tim's ability to lead this team" he concluded. Mr. Vaeth, for his part, is equally excited to be joining the TMM team at such a pivotal time in the company's growth. "I welcomed the prospect of being part of a company like this from the very beginning, but having the opportunity to help direct its future became irresistible," he added. "I have a strong background in LEED certification and Sustainability, but the Montantes are bringing something to the table that is unique in this space (solar) and I'm already hooked." Certainly innovative undertakings are nothing new to TMM, as they launched Montante Solar in 2009, a certified solar installer and full service solar project developer. Mr. Vaeth recognizes this as a strong differentiator in this marketplace. "As the Montantes see it, it's their real estate competencies that differentiate them in the solar industry, but clearly from my perspective, it's TMM's growing capabilities of installing and financing solar projects that has differentiated them in the world of real estate development." Vaeth alluded to a number of large real estate projects that will be announced soon, including one that involves building integrated photovoltaic (solar) as part of the building envelope, which is a first for the region. "In real estate today, being "green" and incorporating sustainability into design has become conventional; to the point that everyone at least says that they do it. But to venture into true cutting edge building design and development, a structure which generates its own power with no negative environmental impact, that is something that is incredibly exciting, and it's something that puts TMM at the front of the pack. If you haven't heard of us or what we're doing, stay tuned, you will."