When the going got tough in 2001, CarrAmerica’s local teams rose to the occasion, delivering a strong market-by-market performance even in a difficult economy. The company’s Dallas,Texas office provides a perfect example. Anticipating the recession, the Dallas team used aggressive asset management strategies to maximize occupancies. “Many of our senior people were here in Dallas in the late eighties for the last down cycle. It gave us a perspective on strategies to handle the decline,” says Managing Director Bill Vanderstraaten. “We were able to respond quickly and take steps to improve our ability to maintain occupancy.” The results? At 94.5%, the average occupancy for CarrAmerica’s Dallas portfolio is much higher than that of virtually all of its competitors. And, in 2001, the team was awarded the prestigious Developer of the Year award by the Dallas Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks.      Beyond that, the leadership in Dallas succeeded in building business in the areas of leasing and construction management services. Through Bob Buell, Vice President of Leasing, CarrAmerica’s Dallas office earned a contract to lease the 80,000-square-foot office portion of a major new multi-use loft, office and retail development. The construction management team, under Vice President and Senior Project Manager Steve Melonçon, attracted a 182,000-square-foot tenant construction project for KPMG LLP and a 170,000-square-foot regional operations center for Network Associates, Inc. Vanderstraaten credits a combination of strong local expertise with the reputation and national real estate service capabilities of CarrAmerica and its affiliates. In a tough environment, it really boils down to having good people. Says Chris Hendricks, Vice President and Director of Operations,“A difficult economy can be a great opportunity for a seasoned team like ours to expand our reach. It’s the kind of market where clients really need our help.”