Wegmann's reluctant to say what will be the hardest task to accomplish. "The thing we want to focus on the most is magnifying these synergies...making sure the combined companies are maximizing the talents we have, the infrastructure we have and delivering the most value," he says.

The combined office will play off the firms' differences. "The thing most alike about the two," says Wegmann, "was the commonality of the word 'Cushman.' The beauty of this is the maximizing of the capabilities, experience, client base, professional staff and infrastructure that we had at Cushman Realty along with the same traits and the more significant infrastructure and much more global platform at Cushman & Wakefield."

As the merger plays out, Wegmann and Relyea intend to continue working their client bases in keeping with an ingrained philosophy from Cushman Realty. Both have been trained to "lead by example and manage by leadership," says Wegmann, "and I think that same will work very well in the combined cultures." Relyea has to his credit leased more than 22 million sf for a total aggregate rental in excess of $2.5 billion. Relyea, one of the Boeing Co. escorts this summer, presently is part of a team selected to represent TXU Energy Delivery for a major Dallas assignment and also is aiding King & Spaulding in a review of its more than 400,000 sf of Atlanta offices. Wegman has completed leases totaling more than 15 million sf in all aspects of brokerage. In 1997, he was named office broker of the year by National Association of Industrial and Office Parks and that same year, closed the largest lease in Houston and second largest in the US.

The co-managers also are designated as co-area leaders along with Liz Trocchio, who was named Dallas branch manager earlier this year. Relyea also will serve as vice chairman and board member while Wegmann cops the additional title of executive managing director. Relyea and Wegmann were executive vice presidents and co-managing directors for Cushman Realty.