The Graham Companies

Versatility + Growth

By Erica Rascón on Oct 8, 2014 in People

The story of Yardi client, The Graham Companies, is a lesson in adaptability. When life handed him lemons, founder Ernest Graham made more than lemonade. He transformed a failed sugar cane plantation into a profitable town with commercial and residential properties as well as farms for dairy, pecans, and beef. Nearly a century later, The Graham Companies continues its success by embracing versatility.

Graham arrived in south Florida in the 1920s to manage fields for the Pennsylvania Sugar Company. The Great Depression quickly ended that career. Instead of fixating on his losses, Graham took inventory of what he had: thousands of acres, plenty of dairy cows, and a wife who was a great business partner. The two soon opened Graham Dairy Incorporated, which became one of the largest dairy farms in the state.

The family faced another dilemma less than thirty years later. Nearby Miami began to outgrow its original city limits. Developers made enticing offers on the Grahams’ farmland. Rather than bow to the pressure, the family decided to develop their land on their own terms. The concept of Miami Lakes took root, including multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and hospitality properties. The town has been growing ever since.

Miami Lakes is a predecessor of New Urbanism, providing its 30,000 residents with pedestrian access to more than 1,100 businesses, 99 parks, and numerous amenities. The town has received honors as an All American City Finalist and one of the top 100 Best Communities for Young People.

“The reason Miami Lakes is so successful is because the quality of our properties is much higher than all of the surrounding areas,” says Andre Teixeira, Executive Vice President and CFO of The Graham Companies. “Everybody wants to live in Miami Lakes. They want to work in Miami Lakes. That is what ensures our success.”

The Graham Companies’ versatile portfolio offers room for flexibility and growth. Yet with responsibilities ranging from dairy cows to apartment units, the family-owned business requires equally versatile management software. The Graham Companies relies on Yardi Voyager Commercial to facilitate efficient operations.

“The database structure of Voyager allowed us to bring in many different types of businesses into one general ledger.  So it allowed us to consolidate the business much faster,” explains Teixeira. “It’s a flexible tool.”

Maintenance Mobile helps The Graham Companies stay on top of property upkeep while establishing rapport with tenants. “At The Graham Companies, we pride ourselves in good quality service and good quality properties, and Maintenance Mobile is a tool that has helped us get there,” says Teixeira. “Maintenance Mobile has allowed our maintenance crew a lot more flexibility in being in front of the resident, faster. All of our maintenance crew has mobile phones that they’re able to, in real time, receive work orders that are assigned to them. And when they are at the location, they can take pictures, automatically attach it to the work order, and close the work order in real time.  That has improved our service level significantly,” says Teixeira.

The company is currently exploring the benefits of RentCafe as well. “RentCafe is going to allow us to receive online payments from our residents and also provides a portal where the resident can log in and see their statements.  We’re looking forward to that,” says Teixeira.

As The Graham Companies develops its versatile offerings of properties and services, Yardi products unite each component into an efficient, manageable whole. “You know, we’ve gone through many changes in our business,” says Teixeira. “Having a tool that allows us to report in a very flexible manner is the key to our success.”