A Yard Overrun by Pests
Laura Strasser lives in Des Peres, Missouri. With two kids and four dogs, she has plenty of reason to worry about mosquitos, fleas, and ticks. More than a nuisance, these insects can carry viruses, so she takes them seriously.
To deal with the problem, she became a customer of a local franchise of Mosquito Joe, a nationwide chain that specializes in eliminating these pests.
After three treatments, Mosquito Joe technicians were able to kill most of the mosquitos in her yard (they estimate 95%). They treat other kinds of properties as well: baseball fields, soccer fields, restaurants with outdoor seating, and others.
As someone who had owned franchises before, Strasser knew a great business model when she saw one. After doing a little research, she decided to invest in three St. Louis-area territories. She needed to find a small office space for lease in the St. Louis area.
Finding Manchester Road Office Space for Lease
With a house in Des Peres and a child in an Ellisville school, Strasser started looking on Manchester Road.
Strasser and Family
Her needs were simple. Mosquito Joe franchises don’t require much space, and in Strasser’s case, she only needed to find about 2000 square feet to receive shipments and outfit her small fleet of vans with the supplies they need for a day’s work.
On a drive, she found a potential candidate. Will Aschinger of Hilliker Corporation represented the property owners, so she called and asked about the space.
She liked Aschinger immediately. “He didn’t start by trying to get me to lease the property I was interested in initially. He started by asking me questions like, ‘What are you looking for? How can I help you find something?’”
As it turned out, the space she called about wasn’t a great fit. But she continued to work with Aschinger, who researched and shared multiple properties for her consideration.
A Prime Location for a Unique Need
They zeroed in on a retail center at 14560 Manchester Road.
Though Mosquito Joe doesn’t need high visibility (they seldom get walk-in clients), the property owners had space for lease behind the building on a lower, hidden level. Situated near MO-141, her drivers would be able to get to the highway without having to fight Manchester Road traffic.
Putting two spaces together, Aschinger and Strasser were able to strike a deal with Hutkin Development Corporation and carve out 1900 square feet of office and storage space. Settling on a five-year lease, Hutkin also performed some light buildout, including adding a water spigot for an outdoor hose.
A Low-Stress Transition
Strasser was pleased with the process, saying, “Will is doing it right. We looked at several spaces. And when we finally settled on this building, one of Hutkin’s owners came out to meet me. I’ve worked with several landlords before, and that rarely happens.”
Strasser says that with heavy rain combined with possible flooding, it may be a challenging year for mosquitos in the St. Louis area. Her team is working to put chemical barriers around properties while educating landowners about how they can enjoy the outdoors this summer.
Strasser and her Mosquito Joe franchise were able to move into the new building and start operations in less than a month, thriving as people begin to prepare their yards for spring.
Does Your Business Have a Unique Property Need?
Do you need a lease solution customized for your company’s needs? Give Hilliker a call. We’ll help you find what you need.
Physical therapist Dr. Hunter Knight, DMP, believes each of her patients has a right to her undivided attention.
After several conversations, he called on Will Aschinger, the name that came up more than once.
Together, they established 
Bill and Brian Franz hoped to find a piece of raw land where they could build a structure that would suit the needs of their unique business model: bays for repair and customization, offices, a showroom, and a large lot.
Jim Roberts, of the Franview Partnership, was happy to see his company’s investment getting a new life. He said, “The center needed to be refurbished … It was time to make changes, but it’s hard to find credit-worthy tenants, and we wanted to do something positive for the neighborhood.”
In 1998, Mike Mahn saw an opening in the construction industry. As someone who believed in quality work and service, he noticed too many contractors and builders settled for cookie-cutter solutions and unreliable timelines.
Aschinger and Mahn had specific criteria for their building.
David Marks founded Quality Auto STL in 2010. Having worked in the industry since 1999, he jokes he bought a “garage with a house in front of it” to build a business that has gone from a part-time venture to a full-time, profitable career—one set for expansion.
Marks volunteers his time with The American Legion’s Vehicle Donation Program. He repairs donated vehicles and, using his dealer’s license, brings them to auction. As a representative of The American Legion, he sells them for a profit that goes to helping veterans, among the organization’s other programs.
Mad Pak, LLC, owns the building at 11457 Schenk Road. It had commercial rental space opening up that was the right size for Quality Auto STL—large enough to eventually bring on more staff, but small enough to meet its current needs.
Now under construction, the new building in Westport is perfect for Quality Auto STL to continue its growth and success. Marks says he enjoyed working with Yocum, having benefited from his integrity and experience.
