Franklin Street hires COO

Franklin Street, the Tampa commercial real estate services firm that has grown from a startup a decade ago to six offices throughout Florida and Georgia, has added to its executive ranks.

E. Tyler Cathey joins Franklin Street as its chief operating officer and general counsel after nearly three years in the Florida Attorney General's Office.

There, Cathey was chief deputy and chief of staff for Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose run for the office he helped guide. In that role, Cathey oversaw more than 500 lawyers and 800 other employees and 11 offices statewide, and was a key adviser on both legal and administrative affairs.

At Franklin Street, a firm that completed more than $25 million in lease deals while selling more than $300 million worth of real estate last year, Cathey will be charged with integrating brokerage, valuation, insurance, property management and finance divisions.

“I'll be helping to guide the company through the complexities of sophisticated growth,” says Cathey, 36, who has no previous real estate experience. “I think my role will be to push and pull the team forward and drive the best out of them. Obviously, the idea overall will be to continue building a strong company to provide the best value to clients.”

Though not as large as the AG's Office, Franklin Street has been on a tear of late. The company now has nearly 250 employees — up from about 200 at this time last year — and in 2015 generated in excess of $20 million in revenue.

Cathey's appointment also marks the latest high-profile hire for the company. In January, Kurt Keaton joined Franklin Street from rival JLL to head its real estate brokerage and management operations.