Julius L. Zelman founded The Zelman Development Co. in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. Early on, the company specialized in industrial property development in and around Vernon and the greater Los Angeles area.

The same year that Julius Zelman started the company, he met and developed a relationship with Ben Reiling when Reiling was an industrial broker with R.A. Rowan Company. After completing many industrial projects together in Vernon, Reiling joined Zelman Development Co. in 1973.

Upon Mr. Zelman’s retirement in 1983, Mr. Reiling acquired the company. Under his direction and leadership, the company’s interests expanded by developing projects nationwide and expanding the company’s focus beyond industrial development to include suburban office and retail.

Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, the company grew into developing large office, industrial and retail projects. These projects were developed in partnership with some of the leading investment institutions in the industry including The Prudential and Copley Real Estate Advisors. In the early 1990’s, Zelman Development Co. also expanded their development efforts in other areas outside of Los Angeles, including Colorado, Florida, Northern California and Washington.

It was also in the 1990’s that the company began developing “power” shopping centers, with such large-format national retailers as Target, Costco, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Best Buy. Notable retail projects developed by Zelman Development Co. include Encinitas Town Center in Encinitas, California (620,000 square feet), Zelman Meadows Marketplace in Denver, Colorado (400,000 square feet), and Burbank Empire Center in Burbank California (900,000 square feet). In addition to the “power” centers, Zelman Development Co. concentrated on the development and redevelopment of large distribution/warehouse projects in Northern California, Southern California and Washington. The company pursues and successfully completes real estate transactions of all sizes and levels of complexity while focusing on larger, regional projects.