Jim was featured in the German American Chamber of Commerce’s (“GACC”) newsletter for his support and involvement with the organization.
“We are thrilled to introduce our new Annual Friend Sponsor to our GACC Members. James Paterno is the founder of Stockton Real Estate Advisors, a company that focuses on property investment and client advisory. Over coffee at Gran Caffe L’Aquila, I was fortunate to learn more about our newest sponsor.
Paterno grew up with a quintessential blonde hair, blue-eyed German mother, who held roots in Southern Germany. Paterno recently visited the country in September for the first time in over 40 years in order to run the Berlin Marathon. The avid runner translates his hobby into his philanthropic efforts. For six years Jim served as the Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Students Run Philly Style. The mentoring program focuses on using long distance running as an approach to help children set goals and accomplish them. More than just a means to curb childhood obesity, it demonstrates to at-risk youth that hard work results in progress and success. When asked about his altruistic work, Paterno simply stated that, with how fortunate he and his family have been, it is important to give back and strengthen the fabric of the community. Along with Students Run Philly Style, Paterno served on the Board of Trustees for Project Home for 12 years. This organization works to end the cycle of homelessness in Philadelphia by addressing the root causes of poverty and empowering individuals.
The Stockton Real Estate Advisors founder always had a keen interest in the “built environment,” as he called it. Being able to “adaptively reuse property” and observe “tangible results” are some of the more rewarding aspects of his job and are the reasons for which he decided to work in real estate. Most recently, an affiliate of Stockton acquired 1760 Market Street in a Joint Venture with an affiliate of Alterra Property Group, and is about to commence extensive upgrades to the entry, lobby and common areas of the property in order to reposition the building as the City’s premier boutique office environment.
As the company began in 2005, I asked Mr. Paterno what he considered his greatest accomplishments to be during the past decade. He spoke about the upheaval of the economy during the 2008-2011 time frame, and how Stockton was still able to thrive during those turbulent times. When inquiring as to what contributed to his success when many others failed, Paterno looked toward the close-knit employees that he described as family, pointing to their overall ability to persevere and adapt. By adaptability, he refers to his company’s two main purviews, investment and advising. The balance between these two areas helped in navigating the economy’s instability.
For SREA’s future goals, the business is looking to diversify. Paterno speaks about looking towards healthcare, specifically working on a joint venture to provide specialized housing for a niche base. Along with expanding into this new area, SREA looks to focus on helping existing clients as they relocate, for the moving of a business from one location to another can be a complex process that his company hopes to simplify.
When discussing the recent international attention Philadelphia acquired in 2015, such as the Pope’s visit, the sister city agreement with Frankfurt, and Philadelphia reaching World Heritage City status, the Stockton founder noted the positives for both the city and his company. “Philadelphia is being recognized as a vibrant, livable and affordable alternative to cities like New York, Boston and Washington, DC, which is giving us real momentum in attracting and retaining talented and motivated individuals.” Overall, he finds “the more positive attention the city gets, the more secure foreign investors feel.” No longer will Philadelphia be viewed as a tertiary city, but rather a desirable location for direct investment.
Shifting the focus to the German American Chamber of Commerce, Jim views the Chamber as an opportunity to embrace his heritage and create friendships and business relationships based on shared interests and experiences. He cites the most rewarding business he has done to be with those with whom he has forged a strong personal connection. Again, we offer our appreciation to Jim Paterno for his continued support of GACC Philadelphia.”
Source: GACC Philadelphia February 2016 Newsletter