Jada Leo

President
The Westmoreland Company

Jada Leo
President
The Westmoreland Company, Inc.

Q: Tell us about yourself. Are you from Huntsville, or did you move here from somewhere else?

My family moved to Huntsville from Texas in 1963 when my father took a job at Redstone Arsenal. Shortly thereafter my mother formed the Leo Agency, which became a leading residential real estate firm. As I grew up, so did Huntsville. It was an exciting period with Huntsville playing a key role in the effort to win the space race and to put a man on the Moon. I graduated from Virgil “Gus” Grissom High School in 1974 and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in 1979. My real estate career started at age 19 with residential sales, then to residential development and home building, ultimately moving into industrial and commercial development..

Q: Tell us about The Westmoreland Company. What kind of work do you do?

Since 1990, we have been a real estate solutions company. Our primary business is the development and leasing of build-to-suit industrial and commercial buildings. Our clients tell us what they need in terms of a building and generally where they want it. We acquire the land, design and build the building to meet their needs. Our work is nationwide with completed projects in 30 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. Our current projects range between 100,000 square feet and 500,000 square feet in size.

Q: What would you like others to know about your business?

Being successful in our industry requires highly competitive rents, professional execution of construction, and a long-term philosophy of service to the client. If your firm is looking for projected costs for a new industrial distribution or assembly facility, give us a call. Your Chief Financial Officer will be glad you did.

Q: You mentioned you’d like to make a bigger investment in Huntsville. Why?

The Huntsville/Madison County area is our home, and one of the most unique markets in the country. We believe the next 30 years of growth will exceed all expectations. To serve the need for industrial space, we have acquired significant parcels of industrial land to develop projects for our clients. We stand ready to use our expertise to serve our community today.

Q: Why do you choose to support HREGI, the Chamber’s Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative?

The cornerstones of our current economic success were laid decades ago by community business leaders. Since that time, business leaders have continued to step up. Today, we face intense competition from communities who want what we have. By supporting HREGI, we at The Westmoreland Company are doing our part to demonstrate the dedication and enthusiasm we have for the economic growth of the Huntsville/Madison County area.

This article appears in the February 2024 issue of Initiatives magazine, a publication of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.