Developing Expertise

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JOSEPH MILLER, 27, president, Runyon Group, Beverly Hills

Business: Real estate development

Employees: 1, plus numerous contractors

Financials: Expects $17 million in revenue from Culver Centrale

Fact: Won a $550,000 settlement with Culver City over zoning disputes for Culver Centrale

Joseph Miller honed his negotiating skills when he was just a boy. Rather than having a monthly allowance simply given to him, Miller had to argue why he needed and deserved it.

“I realize the value of that now,” he said. “That served me really well. But it was tough because when you’re a kid you want things to be handed to you.”

He believes those childhood lessons helped him develop the tenacity to complete a high-end condo development in one of the worst real estate markets in history.

Miller, the president and founder of the Runyon Group, recently cut the ribbon on his first development project, Culver Centrale, an 18-unit mixed-use condo and retail project in downtown Culver City. The Beverly Hills-based developer has sold nine of the units for about $800,000 each, and has leased close to half of the 5,300 square feet of retail space.

It wasn’t a short path to success.

After graduating from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., the L.A. native – a cousin of Business Journal real estate reporter Daniel Miller – returned to Southern California to work in real estate. He cold-called the Kor Group, a real estate investment group in downtown Los Angeles and took an entry level job.

After working his way up to analyst, Miller caught wind of a development opportunity in Culver City. The project was not big enough for Kor to take on, so Miller decided to make his move.

“It was always my vision to have my own company and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” he said.

He started the Runyon Group in 2006 to develop Culver Centrale. But he found Culver City was far from welcoming.

“It’s very, very difficult developing in

Culver City,” said Miller. “We ran into some enormous entitlement headwinds.”

Miller appealed to the city’s Planning Commission, and he eventually got the project built.

He has since acquired a new parcel near the end of a light-rail line in Culver City where he plans to build a retail and entertainment complex.

Miller hasn’t been discouraged by the challenges of the real estate industry.

“It never occurred to me not to do this,” he said.

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