Former Family Dollar SVP of Real Estate Joins Boutique Tenant Rep Firm

Retail industry veteran Keith Gehl has joined Gluck & Co., a New York-based boutique tenant representation firm, as its head of business development and strategy. Gehl, who retired in 2013 from the role of SVP real estate and facilities at Charlotte, N.C.-based Family Dollar Stores Inc., brings to his new role more than 30 years of experience in real estate development, store operations and strategic planning for major retail brands and Fortune 500 companies.

At Gluck, Gehl will provide strategic and advisory services to retailers interested in expanding to the New York and Northeast markets. These services will include store placement, market coverage and buildout strategies; operational planning; and risk mitigation strategies to optimize market investments. Making use of his industry expertise and contacts, Gehl will work mainly on helping retailers and service providers operating small to midsize locations (20,000 square feet and under), with a focus on specialty, discount and grocery retailers, in addition to foodservice and consumer service providers.

“Keith understands firsthand the needs of large retailers as they look to expand,” said Cindy Gluck, founder and president of Gluck & Co. “He knows what it takes to enter new and challenging markets such as New York, which offers wonderful opportunities when executed strategically and with the right partners. We are thrilled to welcome Keith to the Gluck & Co. team as the firm continues to expand its tenant-first offerings to the many exciting brands we represent.”

While at Family Dollar, Gehl oversaw all aspects of the company’s 8,000-store real estate portfolio. He was responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive real estate growth strategy that included the annual development and expansion of 600-plus stores and the evaluation and renegotiation of more than 1,200 leases.  Before that, Gehl was EVP of real estate and business strategy of Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion Inc., where he worked for almost 20 years and held several senior-level positions.

“As an organization that focuses solely on the needs of tenants, the company is laser-focused on deploying the best strategy for its clients; something I've spent my career doing on the client side,” noted Gehl. “I’ve enjoyed working with Cindy and her team as a client for more than 10 years. They are smart, creative and relentless in their pursuit of the right transaction and location for their client, rather than what's available or on the market.”

A CPA in North Carolina and a NACD Leadership Fellow, Gehl also serves on the boards of Kewaunee Scientific Corp. and the Cabarrus Arts Council.