A Message From The Meyer C. Weiner Company
April 29, 2022
By: Joshua T. Weiner, President & CEO
By: Joshua T. Weiner, President & CEO
It has been three long and tumultuous years since our last ICSC ReCon! Who could have known in May of 2019 that it would take 36 months to go from my 50th Convention to my 51st? In fact, it’s been so long that our esteemed industry trade organization has changed its name from the International Council of Shopping Centers to Innovating Commerce Serving Communities. Same acronym but a different message. Hopefully, not too different a mission. My colleagues and I will be treating this year’s Convention with the same serious devotion as in the past. After all, it is very important to us to meet with our peers, in person, to convey our continuing dynamic of conservative growth, taking care of our properties and our tenants, building relationships, making decisions based upon people and process and looking at long-term ownership and asset appreciation.
It is with some sense of optimism that I believe the pandemic has evolved into the endemic. We and our properties have survived and we enter the beginning of this return to normalcy with greater passion for what we do and gratitude that we have maintained the team to accomplish our goals. Even in the face of rising costs, increasing interest rates, longer lead times and the need for more capital to get things done, we look at the future positively because our core locations are strong and our culture perseveres relentlessly.
We have diversified our portfolio with the addition of medical uses (Bronson Hospital and Veterinary Centers of America.) We have continued to invest in our existing developments in ways that may not add to the bottom line in the short term, but definitely increase the life span of their attraction to tenants and customers and keep ongoing maintenance costs from getting out of control. In short, performance with integrity remains our foundation.
As this is written, we are all feeling anxious about the state of our nation and the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the suffering of its people weigh especially heavy on our hearts. Unfortunately, we have been here before. We must maintain our values and principles and have the courage to make tough decisions for the greater good. Courage, integrity, compassion, alliance building are virtues that are good for our nation and our industry. I agree with Columnist George Will: Beware the weak man’s idea of a strong man. The weak man mistakes the bully’s bluster and bombast for strength. Wiser people know the strength that ultimately counts is moral strength.
I’d like to close this year’s spring message by asking you to find and read Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, “If.” It’s message is inspirational and a guide to leadership. “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you…” You’ll be a man, my son!”
As my father used to say, “Let’s have a great show!”
It is with some sense of optimism that I believe the pandemic has evolved into the endemic. We and our properties have survived and we enter the beginning of this return to normalcy with greater passion for what we do and gratitude that we have maintained the team to accomplish our goals. Even in the face of rising costs, increasing interest rates, longer lead times and the need for more capital to get things done, we look at the future positively because our core locations are strong and our culture perseveres relentlessly.
We have diversified our portfolio with the addition of medical uses (Bronson Hospital and Veterinary Centers of America.) We have continued to invest in our existing developments in ways that may not add to the bottom line in the short term, but definitely increase the life span of their attraction to tenants and customers and keep ongoing maintenance costs from getting out of control. In short, performance with integrity remains our foundation.
As this is written, we are all feeling anxious about the state of our nation and the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the suffering of its people weigh especially heavy on our hearts. Unfortunately, we have been here before. We must maintain our values and principles and have the courage to make tough decisions for the greater good. Courage, integrity, compassion, alliance building are virtues that are good for our nation and our industry. I agree with Columnist George Will: Beware the weak man’s idea of a strong man. The weak man mistakes the bully’s bluster and bombast for strength. Wiser people know the strength that ultimately counts is moral strength.
I’d like to close this year’s spring message by asking you to find and read Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, “If.” It’s message is inspirational and a guide to leadership. “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you…” You’ll be a man, my son!”
As my father used to say, “Let’s have a great show!”
