Skilken Gold

What Skilken Gold does

Skilken Gold is a fourth-generation, family-owned commercial real estate development company founded in 1922 by Morris Skilken and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The firm specializes in multi-site rollouts for major national brands in the Quick-Service Restaurant, Grocery, Convenience & Fuel, and Healthcare industries, and functions as the exclusive or preferred real estate developer for several of those brands in defined geographies. Its core offering is a vertically integrated development platform that spans site selection and due diligence, market studies, acquisition and finance, entitlement and permitting, tenant representation, construction management, and ongoing property management, delivered through build-to-suit, fee-for-service, and consulting engagement models. Underlying technology is conventional (a corporate website, contact forms, and LinkedIn presence) rather than proprietary software; differentiation rests on institutional relationships and execution capability rather than platform architecture.

The business model is B2B enterprise field sales targeting national retail chains, with revenue generated through project-based development fees, transaction fees on property acquisition and disposition (e.g., the Andy's Frozen Custard sale to NADG NNN REIT), and recurring managed services from property management of owned and client retail centers. The go-to-market motion is relationship-based rather than marketing-driven, leveraging long-standing preferred/exclusive developer partnerships with brands such as Sheetz (Central Ohio exclusive since 2019), Publix (Kentucky exclusive since 2020), CVS (preferred since 1992), Kroger (preferred since 1986), Wendy's, Starbucks, Walmart, and Target. Active geographies span the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast, with disclosed projects including Terra Crossing in Louisville, Kentucky (a 55,702 sq ft Publix-anchored center) and the 175-acre Burr Oak mixed-use development in Sidney, Ohio. In January 2022, Tobi Skilken Gold became the company's first female CEO, succeeding Ken Gold, who transitioned to a new Chief Growth Officer role focused on expansion.

Name

Skilken Gold

Legal name

Skilken Gold

Website

https://skilkengold.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skilken Gold is a fourth-generation, family-owned commercial real estate developer founded in 1922 that specializes in multi-site build-to-suit rollouts for major QSR, grocery, convenience & fuel, and healthcare brands across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Development Services: Full-service commercial real estate development including site selection, permitting, entitlements, construction management, and build-to-suit solutions for national retail brands. Revenue generated through development fees, transaction fees, and project-based compensation for managing multi-site rollouts.
2. Property Management: Ongoing property management services for owned and client retail shopping centers, including tenant coordination, lease enforcement, and portfolio management.
3. Property Sales: Acquisition and disposition of development properties, including land purchases and sale of completed developments to investors or end-users.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Skilken Gold is a commercial real estate development firm that delivers multi-site build-to-suit, fee-for-service, and consulting solutions for major national retail, quick-service restaurant, grocery, convenience/fuel, and healthcare brands. The firm also provides ongoing property management for owned and client retail properties, covering day-to-day operations, tenant coordination, and lease enforcement across its portfolio.

Product overview

Skilken Gold is a fourth-generation, family-owned commercial real estate development company offering a comprehensive suite of services for multi-site rollouts. The company's core offerings consist of build-to-suit (end-to-end custom development), fee-for-service (selective engagement), consulting (expert advisory), and property management. These services span the entire development lifecycle including growth strategy, market studies, site selection and analysis, due diligence, acquisition and finance, entitlement and permitting, tenant representation, site planning, construction management, tenant coordination, and multi-site rollouts. The company specializes in single-tenant development for major brands in Quick-Service Restaurant, Grocery, Convenience & Fuel, and Healthcare industries, with long-standing relationships with clients including Sheetz, Publix, Kroger, CVS, Walmart, Starbucks, Wendy’s, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Build-to-Suit Development End-to-end custom development solution for single-tenant properties, spanning market studies, site selection, permitting, rollout, management, and final close-out. Designed for national retail, restaurant, grocery, and healthcare brands seeking turnkey expansion with market-specific build-to-suit execution.
• Fee-for-Service Development Flexible engagement model providing experienced team members to assist with critical steps along the development journey without full end-to-end involvement. Targets clients needing targeted support for specific development phases.
• Real Estate Consulting Expert advisory services leveraging 100+ years of commercial real estate development experience to help clients navigate complex development decisions and market challenges. Targets clients needing strategic advisory without execution.
• Property Management Comprehensive property management for owned and client retail shopping centers, including day-to-day operations, tenant coordination, lease enforcement, and planning for portfolio growth. Delivered for properties across Ohio and Illinois.
• Multi-Site Rollouts and Expansion Programs Coordination and execution of large-scale multi-location development programs for major retail, restaurant, grocery, convenience/fuel, and healthcare brands. Delivered as exclusive or preferred developer partnerships for clients such as Sheetz, Publix, Kroger, CVS, Walmart, and Starbucks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7 decades of client relationships with some partners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MSGA DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with MSGA Development announced in 2022 for Burr Oak development in Sidney, Ohio. 175-acre development including Wilson Health expansion, commercial and residential development.
• Strickland BrotherscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Preferred Developer for Strickland Brothers since 2021.
• PublixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Exclusive Developer for Publix stores in Kentucky since 2020. Terra Crossing development in Louisville bringing Publix's first Kentucky location at 55,702 sq ft. Previously partnered with Publix in Virginia and Florida.
• SheetzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Exclusive Developer partnership for Sheetz in Central Ohio since 2019. Skilken Gold serves as the exclusive real estate developer for Sheetz's aggressive Central Ohio expansion, targeting 50+ stores by 2025. Partnership has grown from Columbus market to multiple markets in multiple states. Contributed to Sheetz's 700th store milestone.
• CVScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Preferred Developer for CVS since 1992, one of the longest-standing developer partnerships.
• RevcocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Became the only Preferred Developer for Revco in 1990.
• KrogercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986First major rollout for Kroger Company in central Ohio in 1986. Long-standing developer relationship.
• Wilson HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture expansion site partner at Burr Oak development in Sidney, Ohio.
• CBREminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCBRE's Tommy McCafferty represented Skilken Gold in the South Greensburg, PA land purchase transaction for Sheetz development.
• NADG NNN REIT (North American Development Group)minorOthersDallas-based NADG NNN REIT, subsidiary of North American Development Group, acquired the .73-acre Andy’s Frozen Custard property in Palos Heights, Illinois from Skilken Gold.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casto: Ohio-based, family-influenced commercial real estate developer and property manager active in retail and mixed-use projects. Comparable to Skilken Gold in size, geography, and full-lifecycle retail development model; one of Skilken's own VPs previously worked at Casto.
• Steiner + Associates: Columbus, Ohio-based commercial real estate developer specializing in retail, mixed-use, and lifestyle centers. Direct peer in scale, geography, and multi-tenant retail development focus.
• Phillips Edison & Company: Public REIT focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers with in-house acquisition, development, and asset management. Comparable in its multi-site retail development and long-term tenant relationship model, though substantially larger and capital-markets funded.
• Crawford Hoying: Ohio-based, privately held real estate developer active in mixed-use, multifamily, and retail. Comparable in being a Midwestern, privately held multi-product developer serving retail end-markets.
• The Woodmont Company: Privately held commercial real estate developer specializing in retail, mixed-use, and build-to-suit projects for national retailers. Closely comparable in service offering (site selection, development, leasing) and tenant profile.

Broad incumbents

• NETSTREIT Corp: Public net-lease REIT acquiring single-tenant retail properties, often sourced from developers like Skilken Gold. Comparable in its QSR, grocery, convenience, and healthcare tenant focus, though NETSTREIT is capital provider/buyer rather than developer.
• Site Centers: Public REIT (formerly DDR Corp.) focused on open-air shopping centers and mixed-use development with deep retail tenant relationships. Comparable in multi-site retail development, though at much greater scale and capital intensity.
• Kimco Realty: One of the largest publicly traded retail REITs, with shopping center development, redevelopment, and long-term anchor/grocery tenant relationships. Comparable end-markets and tenant roster but at a much larger, national scale.
• Federal Realty Investment Trust: Large public REIT owning and developing open-air retail centers with deep, decades-long tenant relationships. Overlaps with Skilken Gold's multi-site retail development and property management model but at much greater scale and capital base.
• Brixmor Property Group: Public REIT owning and actively redeveloping open-air shopping centers, with strong grocery and necessity-based tenant relationships. Comparable multi-site retail focus and redevelopment pipeline orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skilken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skilken Gold