The newly acquired company will operate under the name GVA Williams Connecticut. Cory R. Gubner, who founded Chase Commercial Real Estate in June 1998, will remain with the company, along with all senior management. Gubner, a principal in GVA Williams Connecticut, will continue to serve as president and chief executive officer of the firm. The company has eight brokers and four administrative staff. The brokerage firm specializes in the sales and leasing of office, retail and industrial properties throughout Connecticut, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley and Long Island. Among its list of clients include: Stop & Shop, Fleet Bank, Urstadt Biddle Property Trust, BMW, Time Equities, The Vitamin Shoppe, Radio Shack, Cosi and Equinox Fitness. No purchase price for the transaction was reported.

The acquisition marks the further regional expansion of GVA Williams into the New York City suburbs. In May 2000, the firm expanded into the Garden State by acquiring a Parsippany, N.J.-based brokerage firm. Today, GVA Williams New Jersey is a 45-person office.

Commenting on its purchase of Chase Commercial, Robert L. Freedman, vice chairman of GVA Williams said, "We are extremely proud to have added Chase Commercial Real Estate and are very pleased to welcome Cory Gubner to oversee our brokerage efforts in Connecticut and the New York suburbs. Chase has a stellar reputation as one of the region's premier real estate service firms. They share our vision of using the GVA Williams foundation of full corporate services. We expect to repeat the success we had in New Jersey, where we've experienced tremendous growth."