AUSTIN, Tex.--St. Croix Capital Realty Advisors LLC has launched a new, affiliated firm, St. Croix Capital Management Group. The sister firm will oversee construction, property management and asset management for St. Croix Capital Realty Advisors, as well as third parties.

The new firm launches with approximately 800,000 square feet of office, industrial and retail flex space to manage, as well as oversight of an additional 160,000 square feet of new office and retail development, along with 65 acres of land.

John J. Macliver has been tapped as president of the new firm. Macliver, who recently moved from New England to Austin, brings more than 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate and investment industries.

“In my efforts to network in an entirely new market, I was introduced to Ken [Satterlee, president and CEO of St. Croix] and one thing lead to another and he offered me the opportunity to run his management group,” Macliver told GlobeSt.com. “Essentially, I left a very good job and came to Austin without a job and without knowing anyone and I did that so I could be with my nine-year-old daughter. I knew I'd find work once I got settled.”

Macliver began his career as an underwriter for a Berkshire Hathaway firm. He spent the last five years as the president and CEO of the Sperry Van Ness|New Providence Group. Prior to that, he was vice president of property management and oversaw a 2.5 million-square-foot portfolio of office and retail space forMPM Property Management LLC.

“Firming up our property management and construction division is a natural extension of service lines,” says Satterlee. “It became the right time when Jay Macliver walked in our door. He brings an outstanding experience and leadership skills.”

Macliver says he welcomes the opportunity to grow St. Croix's service lines and expand its portfolio, even if his past experience working in the Northeast was quite different.

“The markets [Northeast and Austin] really aren't comparable at all,” he says. “In the Northeast, you are very confined, meaning there really isn't the expansion space to develop as there is here in the Austin market. The Northeast market is very condensed. Austin has much more growth opportunities from a ground-up perspective. And that is what makes this such an exciting venture.”