The Orvis Co., seller of all things needed to maintain a “distinctive country lifestyle,” is teaming with commercial real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield to sell pricey properties to nature lovers around the world.
The two New England companies have a 50/50 stake in a new firm to be unveiled today in New York: Orvis/Cushman & Wakefield Ranch and Recreational Properties, based in Colorado Springs.
John B. Watson has been named president and chief executive of the new firm. Watson, a former Cushman & Wakefield broker, was previously president of Watson Land Co., a brokerage specializing in the sale of Colorado ranch and mountain real estate.
The joint venture aims to capitalize on Cushman & Wake field’s global network of offices and array of real estate services and on Orvis’ gold-standard appeal to wildlife enthusiasts and nature conservationists. In addition to selling outdoors apparel, fly-fishing gear and log homes, Orvis endorses fishing and hunting lodges throughout North America and offers luxury trips to exotic destinations around the world.
Orvis also has continued its push into high-end Western real estate. This spring, developers will break ground on Orvis Shorefox, a 1,500-acre “sporting lifestyle community” along the Colorado River near Granby.
“Leveraging Cushman & Wakefield’s global reach and traction with the most capable and motivated buyers, we are confident that sensitive tracts of land have a better chance of attracting conservation-minded buyers,” Orvis spokesman Tom Murray said.
“That’s a chance that might be lost if the property were only marketed locally or regionally.”
Ron Morris, a partner of Ranch Marketing Associates in Denver, said he welcomes the competition. Morris has sold multimillion-dollar ranches and recreational properties for nearly a decade.
His company recently represented a privately held real estate investment company controlled by Denver financier Pat Broe that bought a 284,000-acre ranch in New Mexico for almost $21 million.
“I’m sure the Orvis name will help this new company’s cause, but this is more than just a brand-name business,” Morris said.
“It takes a lot of experience and hard work to find high-quality properties – and there aren’t as many of those as some people might think.”
Across Colorado, an average of 90,000 acres of farm and ranchland are converted to other uses every year, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Staff writer Christine Tatum can be reached at 303-820-1015 or ctatum@denverpost.com.
