BOTNICK BY THE DECADES

For four generations, The Botnicks have been building, selling, investing in and maintaining homes. We started in the 1940s and ‘50s as a scattered-site custom home builder, building tract homes after World War II for returning GIs and their families.

In the ‘60s, we began building multifamily dwellings, many of which remain in our portfolio today. We shifted our focus to building condos in the ‘70s and, as we moved into the ‘80s, we added commercial developments — both office and retail — to our portfolio as well as expanding into Georgia. Over the last 10 years, we have built a presence in Colorado, assembling a 600+ unit portfolio to establish a solid platform for future growth.

Beginning on the landscaping crews of apartment properties, Steve Botnick has spent nearly 60 years in the real estate industry. For the past four decades, he has led various development projects and operating responsibilities for Botnick Realty.

While focusing primarily on construction, management and ownership of multi-family rental properties, Mr. Botnick also has extensive involvement with single-family development, condominiums and light commercial development.  Steve’s ongoing projects are located in Ohio, Georgia, and Colorado while his principal development activities are concentrated in Ohio.

In his free time, Steve enjoys hiking — he completed the Appalachian Trail in 2018 — and spending time with his grandchildren in Colorado.

Steve Botnick holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School as well as a B.A. from Yale University and is a licensed broker in the state of Ohio.

Brian represents the fourth generation of leadership at Botnick Realty. After opening the Denver office for the family in 2010, he has led the acquisition and management of approximately 600 units in the region. Brian is responsible for strategic planning and growth in the Colorado market and has planned and managed more than $3MM of renovation work on value-add acquisitions. Brian has also expanded the development business into Colorado, building homes that will last for generations to come.

Brian graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa.

Prior to joining Botnick Realty, Brian worked for an NGO in India that focused on rural development. He is an avid snowboarder and rides dirt bikes.

James (Jim) Fox manages construction operations for Botnick Realty.  The son of a carpenter, Jim has been involved with construction since his childhood. After studying Construction Management and serving an apprenticeship in carpentry, Jim served in various construction roles throughout the Midwest before joining the Botnick family in 1980.

Since then, Jim has been involved in all aspects of Botnick projects by working with clients across planning, estimating, budgeting, contract management, site development and vertical construction management.

Whether he’s hiking local trails or passing time on the water, Jim loves his time with nature when he’s not on the job. Alongside his wife, Jim also enjoys time with his five children and grandchildren, who are spread throughout Ohio and Kentucky. 

Laura Freemal has been the Controller for Botnick Realty since 2014 and manages our accounting, IT and HR functions. Before joining Botnick Realty, Laura assisted with the management of family-owned businesses in a variety of service industries.  Laura’s work experience and education have given her a broad skill set that includes project management, process improvement, software implementation, regulatory compliance and financial reporting. She’s used these skills to help Botnick Realty upgrade our property management software and to streamline our accounting, HR and payroll processes.

Laura graduated from Kent State University with a degree in accounting.

Outside of Botnick, Laura volunteers her time with the Humane Society of Summit County, both walking and training dogs.