Kyle Bach is President and CEO of Mecca Companies/Annex Student Living, L.L.C., located at 911 Main Street in Broad Ripple. He recently discussed his background and the building blocks of his company's success.

"I'm from South Bend. My family and I moved to Indianapolis about two years ago and renovated this house (at the company's current address). We moved our business here in June of 2013. Currently, our company has about $25 million of construction in progress. We have construction projects in Kokomo, South Bend and Vincennes. Currently, all of those properties are student housing projects. I've been in real estate since 2002 after graduating from Indiana University. I joined an apartment development association in 2004 and then started my own company in 2007," he explained.

A historical area provided a new foundation for Mecca in Broad Ripple. "It's interesting and it's eclectic. It has an excellent landscape with several amenities originally being on the Monon Trail," Bach noted.

A recent purchase at 6363 Guilford Avenue contains 3,156 square feet on two floors. Like Mecca's office, its proximity to retail outlets, banks, restaurants and downtown Indianapolis places it in an ideal commercial area. "We recently removed the asbestos siding and are painting the original wood siding among other renovations. My partner, Rob Martinson and I (our partnership is under the entity Monon Housing Partners, LLC), purchased the adjacent building for future expansion of Mecca Companies, Inc./Annex Student Living, LLC, but are currently marketing it for lease. Rob and I are acquiring other assets in the Broad Ripple area, stay tuned for those," he said.

Bach surveyed the regional commercial building market: "Our current developments are at regional campus, community colleges and some private schools. We'd like to be at IUPUI as that campus increases in enrollment. We feel there's substantial development potential at Butler University and the University of Indianapolis. We have approximately 1,000 beds in student development in our pipeline in three states." This niche in the Midwest student building market has generated consistent growth for Mecca.

He also reflected on the Circle City's real estate prospects, "I think obviously over the past three or four years, Indianapolis has gained substantial momentum. I believe that the urban core is continuing its momentum. I believe Indianapolis is a progressive community. Our target markets are in smaller or more rural communities. There is not a substantial amount of competition when it comes to the location and it gives us a more intimate relationship with the communities and the campuses that we serve. Our business model is unique in the sense that we're providing housing in smaller communities. Our mission is to provide memorable college experiences through unique housing opportunities that serve as a catalyst for economic development."

According to their website, www.meccacompanies.com, they have produced in excess of 1,750 units throughout the Midwest over the past seven years with a total development cost exceeding $150 million.

Bach and his colleagues recently attended the National Apartment Association Student Housing Conference in Las Vegas. "One of the key components that we picked up while there is having superior management in place. Without that, it certainly affects the perception and quality of your project and impacts the tenants. Social media is still the king," he said.

Mentioning the benefits of his work, "The most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur is the ability to surround myself with a team of professionals and peers that share the same vision as me. It is important for me to establish goals, incorporate our core values and emulate our mission statement on a daily basis. However, without a team in place to implement these, my leadership is obsolete. We are truly a family of various skill sets." Their team also includes Chief Marketing Officer Thomas R. Tomaszewski and NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) Director Mark Nicholas Stanfa.

Mecca Companies' future is as bright as an early spring sunrise. In addition to meeting Midwest college housing needs, they are destined to grow in Broad Ripple as well.