TROTMAN PROPERTIES
About Us
Charlie Trotman grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. Son of John M. Trotman, who in 1972 became only the second President of the National Cattleman’s Association, to hail from east of the Mississippi River, in the 102-year history of the organization.
Attended Auburn University on an athletic (football) scholarship from 1976-80, and was the starting quarterback for the Auburn Tigers from 1977-79. Named “Academic All-SEC” in 1978 and 79, and was chosen as the recipient of the 1979 “Cliff Hare Award”, which is the highest honor that can be given an athlete at Auburn.
Graduated from Auburn in 1980, with a degree in Political Science and a Business minor.
After graduating from Auburn, Charlie attended Cumberland Law School at Samford University in Birmingham, where he received his law degree and passed the Alabama Bar Exam in 1983. Choosing real estate over law, Charlie accepted a leasing position with Jim Wilson & Associates in 1984 and leased retail space in regional malls. In 1987, Trotman went to work for Helms-Roark, Inc., another development company in Montgomery, AL. There, he worked as a developer of grocery anchored centers. Trotman started his own company, The Trotman Company, Inc. in 1990.
In 1990 the Trotman Company, Inc., was established as a full service retail development firm in Montgomery in 1990. Since that time, Trotman has developed and leased over 3.7 million square feet of new retail space. Anchors have included Belk, Dillards, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Carmike Cinemas, Office Max, Winn-Dixie, Rite-Aid Drugs, Walgreens, A.C. Moore, Office Depot, Best Buy, Michaels, Petsmart, Ross Dress For Less, Cost Plus World Market, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petco, Books-A-Million, Kohls, etc…
Large developments have become the norm for The Trotman Company. Schillinger Towne Centre in Mobile, AL, was a 450,000 sf project done in conjunction with Guardian Life of New York. This project included a demolition of a portion of an existing center, and redevelopment with Office
Max, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Goody’s, Home Depot, and Carmike Cinemas.
A similar project was developed in Pace, FL, a neighboring community to Pensacola, FL. A new Wal-Mart Supercenter, Home Depot, The Ridge Cinemas and outparcels have created the dominant retail project in that area.
The Oliver Creek Crossing project in Montgomery, AL, is also a large center of 330,000 sf, A Wal-Mart Supercenter, Walgreens, shop space and outparcels have created a strong retail presence in this area of Montgomery.
Other projects have been a large part of the recent efforts within the company. The Eastern Shore Centre in Spanish Fort (Baldwin County, AL) is a 950,000 sq. ft. “lifestyle center” and “power center, located in fast growing Spanish Fort, AL, on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The lifestyle center is anchored by Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dillards, Belk and Premiere Theatres. The power center is anchored by Best Buy, Michael’s, Petsmart, Old Navy, Cost Plus, Ashley Furniture and Ross Dress for Less. Panera Bread, Party City and Tuesday Morning are other tenants in the power center.
Another large development of The Trotman Company opened in November 2007 is a 212,000 square foot power center in Meridian, MS, anchored by Best Buy, Ross, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petco, Goody’s and Books-A-Million. Olive Garden, Chili’s, Chick Fil-A and other tenants are also part of this project
The Trotman Company has developed many Winn-Dixie shopping centers, as well as several Publix Supermarkets and shops. Currently, the
Trotman Company is developing a new Publix shopping center in Wetumpka, AL. This project will open in the Summer of 2024.
The Trotman Company, Inc. will continue to be active in retail and mixed-use projects throughout the Southeastern United States.
Woody Trotman grew up in Montgomery, AL, and graduated from Auburn University with a B.S. in Finance in 1985. He started his career with Aronov Realty of Montgomery, as a leasing professional from 1986-1990. While at Aronov, Trotman leased many development projects in Oklahoma and Texas. After leaving Aronov, he went to Atlanta, GA and joined Compass Retail, the real estate development arm of Equitable Life Insurance Company. There, he was in charge of leasing their flagship retail development in Atlanta, Phipps Plaza. Trotman personally leased over 330,000 square feet in the totally renovated Phipps Plaza, which won over seventeen national awards and was chosen best new mall of the year in 1994.
Also while at Compass Retail, Trotman transformed the old Kenwood Mall in Cincinnati, OH into the nation’s first hybrid center (mall/strip center) in 1997. This project won the ICSC’s best de-malled, hybrid project in the country. Trotman also leased Tallahassee Mall in Tallahassee, FL, which was a failing property when acquired by Equitable. It had an occupancy when Trotman began leasing it of 33%. After his leasing efforts, the property’s occupancy rose to 82%, with the addition of AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, The Gap, etc…
Woody worked on Southgate Plaza, a small project in Sarasota, FL that Equitable decided to expand and renovate. He added a Saks’ Fifth Avenue and many upscale national tenants such as Williams Sonoma, Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, The Limited, etc… His leasing transformed this property into a very successful mall with very high sales figures.
In 1999, Equitable Life Insurance Company sold Compass Retail and its real estate holdings to what is now Jones Lang LaSalle, and Woody accepted a position with Greg Greenfield & Associates, as Senior VP of Leasing. He worked on AMC Theatres’ redevelopment effort in downtown Kansas City, MO. This redevelopment included a 12-block area of office, retail, hotel, restaurants, theatre and entertainment venues. It was known as the “Power and Light District”.
Beginning in 2000, Woody joined his brother Charlie at The Trotman Company, Inc. in Montgomery, AL as the VP of Leasing to work on regional retail projects. He leased projects consisting of Wal-Mart Supercenters as well as regional lifestyle and power centers until 2009, when the recession decimated retail development. His projects include the Eastern Shore Centre and Eastern Shore Plaza, a 850,000 square foot project in Spanish Fort, AL. Trotman brought in high-end retail to this development, which had not previously come to Alabama.
Trotman leased the Renaissance project in Jackson, MS for Andrew Mattiace and partners from 2005-2007. Trotman secured a who’s who list of upscale retailers for this lifestyle center, making it a highly successful development.
From 2009-2010 Woody worked for The MG Herring Group in Dallas, Texas, leasing the Village at Fairview, a urban retail and residential project. In 2014, Trotman began working for UP Development, in Orlando, FL as head of Development and Leasing. UP Development was Florida’s most active retail developer at the time, and Woody completed several projects that included Winter Park Square, a Nordstrom, Whole Foods center.
Woody is recognized as one of the nation’s leading leasing professionals and is currently back working with his brother, Charlie, at The Trotman Company, as the VP of Leasing.
Originally from Montgomery, Charlie Trotman grew up attending Trinity Presbyterian School before he went to Auburn University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in Finance. Today, Charlie serves as a Developer for The Trotman Company, where he helps find sites for commercial projects, works with architects and engineers to layout the projects, and works with tenants to lease spaces within the projects. Charlie also helps clients negotiate sale agreements, option agreements, and leases. Being a family-run business, his name may sound familiar, and that’s because he works alongside his dad, Charlie Trotman, and uncle, Woody Trotman. Charlie enjoys working with them because the office is always lively, which makes coming to work exciting. Learning from family over the years has allowed him to gain unique first-hand experience stepping into his job here. In his free time Charlie enjoys playing both tennis and golf, and duck hunting. As one of the developers for The Trotman Company, Charlie is excited to continue serving in this role and bringing growth to different communities.