Carolina Commercial Continues to Expand its National Footprint with Key Hire and Midwest Office Opening

New leadership and Midwest presence support firm’s mission to transform retail centers nationwide

CHARLOTTE, NC, NC, UNITED STATES, April 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Carolina Commercial is in a phase of rapid expansion for its business. The Charlotte-based, full-service real estate advisory firm has spent years quietly building one of the most distinctive platforms in commercial real estate: a national operation focused on revitalizing distressed shopping centers in secondary and tertiary markets. Now, the firm is making moves that signal a new and accelerated chapter of expansion.

In a series of announcements this month, Carolina Commercial has named Mishelle Conti as Director of Leasing, opened a new regional office in Evansville, Ind., and broken ground on its most ambitious redevelopment project to date. Together, these milestones reflect a company that has not only proven its model, but is now scaling it.

Strengthening the Team to Fuel National Growth
At the center of Carolina Commercial’s expansion strategy is people — and the firm’s latest hire makes a clear statement about its ambitions. Mishelle Conti joins as Director of Leasing, bringing more than 13 years of commercial real estate experience and a track record of executing leasing strategies across large, geographically diverse portfolios.

Conti comes to Carolina Commercial from Regency Properties in Evansville, where she served as Senior Director of Leasing and Managing Broker, overseeing a portfolio of 61 properties totaling more than six million square feet across 19 states. Her focus on smaller county seat communities and tertiary markets mirrors Carolina Commercial’s core strategy, making her a natural fit for the firm’s next phase of growth.

As Director of Leasing, Conti will lead the leasing execution strategy across Carolina Commercial’s entire portfolio, working alongside senior leadership and clients to drive the innovative, results-oriented approach that has become the firm’s hallmark.

“Mishelle is a highly accomplished professional with tremendous experience in leasing shopping centers in the types of markets where we excel,” said Joe Maguire, Principal of Carolina Commercial. “She’s creative and can quickly identify how to reposition a property and find qualified prospects to lease available spaces. Her work ethic and her passion for dealmaking make her an ideal fit for our company and culture.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining Carolina Commercial as Director of Leasing and to work alongside such a talented and genuinely wonderful group of people,” Conti said. “It’s refreshing to see a company be so fully invested in creating meaningful retail experiences for the communities it serves.”

A New Regional Office Extends the Firm’s Reach into the Midwest
Alongside Conti’s hire, Carolina Commercial has opened a new regional office in Evansville , a strategic move that extends the firm’s geographic footprint into the Midwest and positions it to serve a broader range of clients and communities across the country. The Evansville office joins existing locations in Charlotte and Pinehurst, N.C. and Bentonville, Ark., giving Carolina Commercial a four-office national presence.

“There are many real estate firms out there, but there is only one company with a national platform solely focused on secondary and tertiary markets,” said Maguire. “Expanding into the Midwest is a natural next step as we continue to grow our team, deepen our industry relationships and take on more projects in markets that are underserved by traditional commercial real estate.”

Growth Backed by Results: A Proven Model in Action
Carolina Commercial’s expansion is grounded in a track record that speaks for itself. The firm’s latest milestone, the $18 million revitalization of Biggs Park Mall in Lumberton, N.C., is its most comprehensive undertaking to date and a powerful example of the model it now plans to replicate on a greater scale across the U.S. The 250,000 square-foot project, which broke ground in February 2026, will transform the long-standing community mall into a modern open-air shopping center anchored by Belk, TJ Maxx, Burlington and Five Below.

That kind of transformation is not new to Carolina Commercial. The firm recently repositioned a Food Lion vacant for more than 15 years into a Tractor Supply in Farmville, N.C., converted a former Kmart into Dunham’s Sports in Lexington, Va., and repurposed retail space in Hickory, N.C. for Workout Anytime and Once Upon a Child. Its leasing partners include TJ Maxx, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Tractor Supply, Ulta Beauty, Burlington, Five Below, Ross, Dollar General, Walmart, Harris Teeter and Aldi.

“We have the skillset and expertise necessary to reposition properties in today’s retail environment,” said Lash Hairston, Principal of Carolina Commercial. “As we grow our team and expand our reach, we remain committed to the communities we serve and to doing the work that others won’t, restoring vital retail assets that create jobs, strengthen local economies and give residents a place to gather close to home.”

About Carolina Commercial
With offices in North Carolina, Indiana and Arkansas, Carolina Commercial is a full-service real estate advisory firm with a growing national footprint. The firm specializes in leasing, property management, development, redevelopment, and construction for shopping centers with large vacancies in secondary and tertiary markets. Supported by deep industry relationships and decades of experience, Carolina Commercial curates a unique action plan for each project with a precision that is unmatched in the industry. Carolina Commercial has participated in thousands of lease transactions and more than 30 ground-up development and redevelopment projects.

For more information about Carolina Commercial, please visit www.carolina-commercial.com. Follow Carolina Commercial on LinkedIn: @CarolinaCommercial.

###

Nikki Wolfe
Yellow Duck Marketing
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.