1950s
A Brave New Venture
Jack arrives in Los Angeles, California, to meet Gitta, the young woman who will become his lifelong love and companion. In SoCal, he sees a community primed for rapid growth and sinks every dime he has into developing 78 homes in Anaheim. But the timing isn’t good, and the homes are completed just as a sharp recession takes hold. Jack and Gitta use their ingenuity to offer the houses to recent Korean War veterans who have been given government stipends to purchase homes. Disaster is averted and a promising career is launched.
1960s & 1970s
Learning While Building
Without the fallback of a formal education, Jack is driven to learn everything there is to know about construction and real estate on his own. While he is working on managing his properties and starting new developments around Los Angeles, he attends night school and hires tutors so that he can build expertise quickly and oversee the quality of his projects. His uncompromising standards are put to the test during massive earthquakes in 1971. Not a single home collapses.
1980s
A New Leader, A New Vision
Jack and Gitta’s son, David, joins the company in 1981 and proudly oversees his first development project of 63 homes in San Dimas, California. But the timing is bad again as interest rates rise to double-digit levels, making for a hard sell. David’s solution is to use a rent-to-own strategy to help buyers build equity and eventually qualify for mortgage loans. The move convinces Jack and David that diversifying into rental communities and commercial spaces is a safer bet in an ever-fluctuating economy. David takes over as CEO of Decron in 1988.
1990s & 2000s
Rapid Expansion through Discipline
Under David’s leadership, Decron aggressively expands its portfolio by investing in more than 20 multifamily, retail, and office buildings. The company continues its legacy of construction with major development projects throughout Southern California while continuing to actively manage the majority of its properties. While the growth is exponential, the approach is measured and disciplined with careful vetting of properties and keeping leverage low. As David says, “Discipline and patience are great virtues in our business. They're critical to our success.”
Present
A Future With No Limits
Decron continues to build a better future with the positive entrepreneurial spirit that Jack Nagel first sparked. Our company is involved in a number of community-based causes and charitable activities, through board work, raising funds and awareness, and volunteering on the front lines. And we are just getting started.
