Don Greene

Category: Business
Published: June 2007

Just a few short years ago the Clifton Park Mall was on its last legs. Now, revitalized and boasting a new look, it has become one of the hotspots of upstate New York. Don Greene describes how he transitioned the mall from its old design to the new open-air atmosphere.

Success Magazine: Don, what does success mean to you?

Don Greene: Success is different for everyone. I don't look at what I do as success. I just do what comes naturally every day. That's how my life has always been.

SM: So, you have become successful by doing those every day things well. How did you get started in your business?

DG: Prior to real estate, I was involved in a variety of businesses. I started out in trucking, milk transportation, and rubbish removal. I sold those businesses, and built Case Dealership, a machinery equipment dealership in Latham, and the Wicker Ford auto dealership in Ticonderoga.

SM: How did you get into real estate development and the Clifton Park Center?

DG: When I began the dealerships in 1970, I obtained the operating franchises, bought the land, built the buildings and ran the dealerships. Building gave me an appetite for real estate. We built London Square and Twin Lakes, and bought Fox Apartments in Clifton Park. We built apartments in Malta and Saratoga. We filled them and, after 25 years, sold them. We also constructed a lot of commercial buildings, which we still own.

SM: Now you have acquired the mall and started major renovations. Was it a big risk?

DG: I like to look at a piece of property or a building, see what it could be, and then develop that vision. Taking an old building and creating a new concept for it is a risk, but if you do your homework, and tweak your plan, I don't think the risk is there. Professional developers from all over the country looked at the mall and turned it down, but they didn't have a vision, and they didn't know the demographics. We are situated in a wonderful community, with million dollar homes and a growing population. We're at the crossroads of routes 87 and 146, which is a great location; everybody comes through here.

SM: What inspired the renovation?

DG: I had been watching the mall going down hill for several years. I decided if we could buy at the right price, we could turn it into a place where people wanted to shop. We envisioned an open air mall. Enclosed malls are becoming dinosaurs. Twenty years ago, people wanted to go to a mall and be entertained. Today, people's lives are busy. They don't want to walk through a whole mall to go to one store. Here, they can drive up to any store they want, shop, and go home.

SM: When did you acquire the mall?

DG: One year ago this month. One year, and we've already taken it down and built it back up. A good portion of it is occupied and have new leases coming in. We're working with national companies to pull in a new anchor store. We've made tremendous headway, but we're still in the infancy of the renovation. There is a lot to be done.

SM: You were extremely successful in your previous businesses. How much is enough? Why are you doing this now?

DG: I do it because I enjoy it. I love what I'm doing. You talked about success. I have never done anything with the goal of success. I do it because I want to do it. It's a vision. If it happens to turn out, that's great.

SM: What goals do you have for the mall in the next few years?

DG: Our goal is to be at least 95% occupied within three years. Today we are running at about 80%. We also have approximately 120,000 additional square feet that we can build on the outlying parcels. I hope within three years that it will be totally built up with retail shops and restaurants.

SM: And in five, ten years? Do you plan to hang onto the mall?

DG: I have no idea. I don't have a crystal ball. If you asked me three years ago about the apartments, I would have said we'd have them for another thirty years, but someone came along who wanted them more than I did, so I sold. As for the mall, I would like to see the employees continue with it even if I'm not around. I think they're capable of it.

SM: What differentiates you from other executives?

DG: There are no whips, no layers of management. Everybody is treated equally in my company. I try to maintain an environment where everyone is working without friction. Employees don't punch in and out. They do their job, and we check in at weekly meetings. They've been here for years; they know what they have to do, and they all do it well. It's kind of like a country club atmosphere. The office runs perfectly whether I'm here or not.

SM: How do you establish that kind of environment?

DG: I think it's the people you pick. If you want a salesperson, you pick a salesperson who you know is going to do the job. Sure, we've hired lots of people and lots of people go, but over the years you finally build a strong group. That has been with every business I've been in. If you give people a lot of room, they enjoy going to work. If you're on top of them on a daily basis, "do this, do that," it doesn't work. I wouldn't want to work under those conditions, and I don't think anybody else does. I give my employees some guidance here and there, and ask for their feedback. That's my way of operating. It's all about, trust. Same as a marriage, marriage is a trust.

SM: With all you do, how do you find balance in your life? How do you keep fit, take care of things with the family and manage the business? It must be a 24/7, 365 operation.

DG: No, it isn't. It could be, but I don't spend more than four or five hours a day at the office. Our home is on a large piece of property. I enjoy my tractors, my mowing and gardening. I have every fruit tree you could imagine, apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, raspberries. My wife, Beverly, and I do a fair amount of travel. Business has never been something that I eat and sleep. I sold off the other business when I was 35, and I was very comfortable at that point. That has helped a lot. I didn't have to worry about tomorrow.

SM: You have become very successful. You've been very blessed. How do you give back?

DG: We support many religious organizations and some local ones. We fund a charitable trust that we set up years ago. I'd rather not identify them.

SM: If you had to describe yourself with one word what would that be?

DG: Well, three words come to mind. My wife would say, "kind of slow but pleasant." To me, fair is probably the right word.