"This is a great opportunity to bolster our retail services team, capitalize on our mutual strengths in building relationships, leverage Grubb & Ellis' national platform and expand our core business base," says Rex Thomas, chairman and CEO of Thomas Linderman Graham. "We see tremendous opportunity on the horizon in the retail sector."

George Richards, who started his firm 10 years ago, joins Grubb & Ellis as a senior vice president, while Amy Watkins will become vice president and Shane Bull will serve as real estate advisor. With the expansion, Grubb & Ellis will have 65 local employees at offices in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

"While we are very proud of the success that we have enjoyed, and the reputation we have earned as retail specialists, we need to broaden the scope of services we can offer to our clients," Richards says. He notes that both firms had considered merging over the past couple years.