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TRW, Inc.

Communicating Effectively to Beat the Clock

In 1998, TRW, Inc., a global provider of aerospace and information systems products and services, needed to find 125,000 square feet in record time. TRW's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program, housed at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, was to be squeezed off the base by military closures. It would take at least nine months to construct a new building.

Racing the clock
“Time was our biggest problem,” says Peter Van Haften, Real Estate Operations manager for the TRW Space and Electronics Group. “We had to locate members of the development community, select a site, and get bids on a building in a very short period of time.”

Although TRW executives had signed a letter of intent with a Clearfield, UT developer, TRW had not yet negotiated a contract amendment with the U.S. government to cover the incremental relocation expenses. Time pressures intensified. “The developer had a land purchase contract option that was scheduled to expire before our negotiations with the government were completed,” says Van Haften. Faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, TRW executives considered pulling out of the transaction.

They turned to Jim Wright to help complete the deal. “Jim convinced the developer we weren't just using the situation as a negotiation ploy,” says Van Haften. “In turn, the developer managed to get the seller of the land to extend the closing date.” Wright’s effective communication skills held the build-to-suit transaction together. TRW closed the deal and the building was delivered on time.

Communication with integrity is key
“I've found that my biggest assets in this business are courtesy and integrity,” Wright adds. “If people can't trust your word, then you're not going to make your transactions happen.”

“Jim's ability to communicate was very, very good,” Van Haften says. “He was always upfront about where we were. Without his constant attention to communication, we would have likely lost the deal.”

TRW, Inc.
Clearfield, UT

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
(Colossians 4:6)