Emerald Business Park was built with the purpose and intention of advancing the newly legalized cannabis industry throughout the State of Michigan, and to provide innovation to its expanding industry throughout North America.
Meet the Visionaries
Derrick Gergis
Derrick Gergis is both a real estate developer and general contractor, having acquired, designed, and built hundreds of commercial properties throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Gergis rehabilitates defunct and dilapidated buildings, and ground-up builds. Most notably, Mr. Gergis was among the first developers and contractors to build cannabis cultivation facilities when Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008.
To date, Mr. Gergis has built hundreds of state-of-the-art cultivation facilities anywhere between 5,000 square feet and 40,000 square feet. He has become a trailblazer in advancing the Michigan market by locating specialized HVAC, plumbing, and electrical equipment and installation techniques that are specific to cultivation facilities.
Mr. Gergis has leveraged his background in commercial real estate development by forming partnerships with the most esteemed and established architects, engineers, and construction trade professionals in the state of Michigan. Due to his background and experience, Mr. Gergis has become a qualified resource and consultant to builders, architects, and engineers who are newly working in development and design for the cannabis industry.
Nemer Haddad
Nemer Haddad is a real estate developer with an extensive background in commercial and multifamily projects. By the age of 30, Mr. Haddad had acquired over 50 properties, and developed a portion of them into brand retail stores, which were later sold in an acquisition of 20+ locations. Mr. Haddad keenly understands market dynamics, real estate values in specific industries, and real estate property fundamentals. Mr. Haddad’s acquisitions and redevelopments are informed by his understanding of local regions, varying commercial land uses, and the importance of diversification. Having predominantly redeveloped sites throughout Southeast Michigan, he has significant experience in working with local city councils and planning committees for community approvals, municipal regulations, construction code of ordinances, and environmental permitting.
Mr. Haddad’s significant real estate portfolio has also regarded him a landlord of many properties, which familiarized him with the legal cannabis industry through his tenants. Mr. Haddad quickly recognized that the cannabis industry is the first of “new industries” in the last few decades, and noted its notable impact on the real estate market and values. Thus, Mr. Haddad began acquiring properties zoned for cannabis use, and redeveloped them for turn-key purchase.
The visionaries behind Emerald Business Park resiliently worked with trade professionals, as well as state and city officials, to bring the redeveloped facility to life for our tenants.
Building Property Features & Infrastructure
With his partner, Derrick Gergis, Mr. Haddad began working with trade professionals who specialized in infrastructure for high-energy-use operations, in order to provide property features ideal for our tenants. These features will have tremendous impact on the facility and provide key value to tenants. Developing these relationships has been instrumental in the development of Emerald Business Park.
Obtaining Dedicated Power & Electricity
Mr. Gergis is accredited with obtaining a power agreement with DTE Energy to construct a dedicated electric substation solely for the tenants of the property. Mr. Gergis' tenacity and acumen led the project, ensuring the property's functionality as a multi-tenant cannabis facility could actually perform with a sufficient power supply. Between site evaluation and preparation, the transaction took 36 months to complete and will set Emerald Business Park apart from other facilities.
