GARY HARROD

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, HARROD PROPERTIES, TAMPA

Harrod was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame in 2019, praised for his decades of contributions to the region’s business community. “He’s a person of the highest integrity. He’s someone who’s consistent. He’s tough, but he’s fair, and you can take his word to the bank,” said Fred Ridley, partner with Foley and Lardner. “He’s been successful the old-fashioned way — he’s really earned it.”

Harrod founded commercial real estate investment and development company Harrod Properties in 1990. Since then, the company, with offices in Tampa and Dallas, has grown to include affiliated companies Harrod Healthcare Real Estate, Harrod Services and HP Realty Associates. His son, Chad, runs the companies as CEO. Over the years, Harrod Properties has developed more than 15 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and medical properties. Recent projects include the Gatewood Corporate Center, an industrial park in Lakewood Ranch, and Asturia Corporate Center, a master-planned industrial park in Pasco County.

Earlier in his career, Harrod, a graduate of Texas Tech University, served as Florida managing area partner for Trammell Crow. He is chairman of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and vice chair of the board of trustees for the University of Tampa. He is also on the board of Bank of Tampa.