Dr. John Haake has over thirty years experience in designing, conducting and managing market research studies that provide solutions to business location issues. The results of his analysis have resulted in profit enhancements, cost savings and the identification of new revenue opportunities for his clients.

John has been a consultant to retailers and shopping center developers and managers since 2003.  He has provided research expertise in, site selection, shopping center re-positioning and feasibility analysis, mixed-use development, gentrification and under-served market analysis projects.

John’s corporate market research experience includes:
Manager of Planning and Research at The Kroger Co. headquarters in Cincinnati, OH, where he was responsible for the market research and business analysis functions of the company.  In this capacity, John developed a company wide program for site evaluation and sales forecasting.

John also founded the Market Research Department at Fay’s, Inc. and put in place all their market research procedures and products.  This included the development of real estate storing strategies, new store sales forecasting, and consumer research studies.  He was also a participating member of the Real Estate Capital Committee.

As Director of Market Strategy for The Kmart Corporation John and his staff conducted sales forecasts for new stores and helped implement real estate market strategy plans for major markets. He also analyzed potential acquisitions and made recommendations on real estate strategies during Kmart’s bankruptcy process.  

John is an Emeritus Member of the Steering Committee of the Research Advisory Task Force of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).  A past Member of the Steering Committee of the Applied Geography Conference and an elected board member of The Applied Specialty Group of  the Association of American Geographers (AAG).  He has given numerous presentations at the annual conferences of each of these organizations. 

John earned his PhD in Geography at the University of Cincinnati.  He received his Masters Degree in Geography and Bachelor of Liberal Arts at Wayne State University.  John has also completed a number of courses through the American Management Association.

LARRY E. CARLSON

Larry E. Carlson has more than thirty years of broad-based research and management experience in the retail and shopping center industry.  As a research professional, Larry offers expertise in site selection, sales forecasting, retail strategy evaluation, retail and shopping center feasibility analysis, retail portfolio and tenant mix assessment, mixed-use development analysis, and merger and acquisition evaluation.

For over twenty-five years of his career, Larry directed large research and real estate strategy teams; first as Vice President of Research and Planning at Target Corporation and then as Vice President of Real Estate Market Strategy at Kmart Corporation. 

Since 2001, Larry has been the lead consultant to more than twenty retail and development businesses in their real estate strategy efforts and has been an expert witness in a number of court cases involving development issues.  He has also offered his expertise to a number of government agencies in their zoning and land use needs. 

Larry has taught a number of real estate and geography courses during his career and has been a speaker and/or panel participant at many industry conferences and professional meetings.  He is an Emeritus Member of the Steering Committee of the Research Advisory Task Force group of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and has been a Full Member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). 

He has served as Councilor for the American Geographical Society (AGS) and has also coordinated a number of Business and Government Leadership Roundtables for the Association of American Geographers (AAG).

Larry earned his Bachelor’s Degree (Cum laude) in Geography at the University of Minnesota, Duluth; his Master’s Degree in Geography at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; has completed the course requirements for the PhD in Geography at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and is a graduate of the Executive Education Program - Seminar for Top Management in Retailing at the Harvard Business School.