Steve Metter started his career as an 18-year old. Young and full of dreams, Metter was able to buy his own condominium which he eventually sold netting $4500. He used the money and some loans to fund his college education.
“I had to pay for school some way and I realized, not taking some part-time jobs, that school was the solution and that working right out of school was not an option,” he said. “So now I had to figure a way to pay for it because my parents weren’t in that position and so this was a vehicle to do that and it happened to work.”
Metter started working early in life because he believed in the value of education. He used his early experience to get him through tertiary level with a degree in social science from the University of California at Berkeley.
After graduation, he worked as an investment banker for Morgan-Stanley in New York before going to Hawaii, which caught his heart.
“New York was all about transactions, cutting edge, making money and as soon as you’re done with a transaction, you’re kind of done,” he said. “Hawaii was all about relationships from what I understood because I had an older brother that lived here, and it was beautiful. I mean it was beyond my description, and so I wanted to live in a beautiful place and start a career.”
Metter moved to Hawaii and has never left. He now runs MW Group which has roughly $300 million in assets.
Find out more how Steve Metter, CEO and principal of MW Group, Ltd. has put together with his partner, Mike Woods (20 years his senior), their real estate business and how the company provides social services through the B.R.I.D.G.E. program.
BIO:
STEPHEN B. METTER
Stephen B. Metter is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal of MW Group, Ltd. and Principal Broker of MW Commercial Realty, Inc. MW Group, Ltd. is a diversified Hawaii based Real Estate Development company with over 300 million in assets. MW Group, Ltd. has a proven track record of adding value to existing properties and developing ground up projects. Currently MW Group owns, leases and operates: Self Storage, Assisted Living, Office, Retail and Industrial properties.
Mr. Metter entered the investment banking business in New York City, working with Morgan Stanley’s Information Services Group. He was subsequently recruited into the Oppenheimer Investment Bank Merger and Acquisition Team.
Mr. Metter earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Metter serves on the following boards: McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii, Child and Family Services, Workforce Development Council, Hawaii Theater, Hawaiian Humane Society, Fort Street Business Improvement District, Downtown Arts and Cultural District, The Plaza Club and is a member of YPO.
Mr. Metter is married to Susan Metter and they have two daughters, Cassidy and Mckenzy and one son, Hudson.
Additional Info:
As of 2-18-2006
Assets Managed
Summary of Current Projects
Hawaii Self Storage – Pearl City
115,000 square foot purpose-built self-storage facility located on Kamehameha Highway near Ka’ahumanu Street. Currently under construction with anticipated opening for summer 2005.
Plaza at Punchbowl
918 Lunalilo Street, Honolulu, HI
108 Unit/138 Bed Assisted Living and Memory Care Residence. Opened in January 2004, Plaza at Punchbowl is filling a dramatic need in Honolulu’s senior community.
Pioneer Plaza
900 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI
Acquired in September 2001 with a $9 million renovation completed in 2003. This office building in the heart of downtown Honolulu contains approximately 275,000 square feet of leasable area. Pioneer Plaza is home to The Plaza Club and features Hawaii’s highest speed 100 mbps cable connection for the fastest possible connection to the internet.
Nimitz Center
1130 North Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI
Acquired in December 2000. With a $2.5 million renovation completed in 2002, this retail, office and industrial center with approximately 154,000 square feet and a new look is conveniently situated within Honolulu’s new hub of home wares and improvement retail space, near Costco and Home Depot in Iwilei.
Kihei Kalama Village
1945 South Kihei Road, Kihei, Maui, HI
Acquired in December 1995. This 44,000 SF shopping center sits on 4 acres of fee-simple land which we have renovated and created into a Hawaiian village themed shopping and dining experience.
Kihei Plaza
1325 South Kihei Road, Kihei, HI
Acquired in December 2000 and renovated in 2001/2002. A 33,219 square feet office building along South Kihei Road.
Azeka I & II Shopping Center
1279 & 1280 South Kihei Road, Kihei, HI
Acquired in December 2000 and renovated in 2001/2002. With approximately 137,000 square feet of retail and office space, Azeka Shopping Center is Kihei’s largest shopping center.
Aiea Town Square
99-084/089 Kauhale Street, Aiea, HI
Acquired in November 1999. This 46,000 sf center consists of three, 2-story buildings containing retail and office space.
Kilauea Business Center
460 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii, HI
A 11,000 square foot office building built in 1994 along with 1.5 acres of adjacent undeveloped land.
Anchor Square
222 Papalaua Street, Lahaina, Maui, HI
Acquired in December 1996. Renovation of an old 20,000 SF travel lodge to a multi-tenant retail and service building.
3015 Koapaka Center
3015 Koapaka Street, Honolulu, HI
Acquired in 1991. Renovated a 58,217 square foot warehouse, showroom and office facility. Existing tenants include Alamo Rent-A-Car, Geotronics Government Solutions, LLC, and Honeywell International as our major tenant.
2815 Kaihikapu Street
2815 Kaihikapu Street, Honolulu, HI
Acquired in 1993. Improvements include over 30,400 square feet of warehouse facilities.
Greenbrae West Shopping Center
680 Greenbrae Drive, Sparks, NV
Acquired in 1990. Renovation of a 6 acre, 86,612 square foot shopping center.
1111 McCully Street
1111 McCully Street, Honolulu, HI
Acquired in 1982. Renovation of a small retail project with Territorial Savings and Papa Johns as tenants.
Links:
MW Group
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