Imagine a world of property management reliant on a workforce hungry for opportunity where every community manager turnover creates higher staffing costs and lower performance. Imagine a world where staffing expense outpaces every other operational expense. And then try to tell your workforce that you can't afford to pay them more when their capabilities increase and inflation grows. Imagine a world where management companies offload their inefficiency to site teams, expecting them to do more while serving communities requiring their full attention. This formula is not sustainable - it's dystopian. But it's reality.Forge set out to disrupt this dystopia. Our goals were to stabilize staffing expenses while paying salaries that lead to retention, maintain property performance while allowing our workforce to explore their opportunities, and create efficiency while empowering site teams to focus on their communities.
Changing reality is difficult. Decades of professional experience being challenged, software that is coded around the status quo, legislative challenges that create inefficiency, and a tenant base that demands more for the increased rents they're paying.
But set out on this journey we did. And we did it with a mission and set of values that keep us focused on what's important and consistently improving. Forge has not mets its goals nor its mission yet. We have a long way to go, but we remain committed.
And the team at the core of that commitment is comprised of the 41 employees during our first year of operations. From Camille who champions our People Success division to Lejeanda, Aaron, Ivvonne, and Brian who have steered the properties. They include deeply dedicated people like Randy, Jamil, and Manny who maintain 2 of our largest properties while responding to emergencies. It includes Jake and Mike who lead our facilities teams across our portfolio. Maria, Anastasia, Oksana, Brittany, and Sarah are just a few of the leasing professionals and brokers who keep our properties occupied. They include Hayley, Sarah, and Keith who run our operations, consistently creating efficiency with the goal of removing tasks from site teams. And it includes Rachele and Mary who work with our clients on a day to day basis to increase performance across all properties.
We celebrated this team and everything they've given over the last year at our first company anniversary party. The team is being fitted with baseball jerseys establishing their status as a Forge Founder. As President, I am personally grateful to each and every one of them for their commitment and sacrifice working to achieve these goals. And now our team is growing with a new set of Forge Founders in the Salt Lake City market.
The future of Forge and the future of property management is bright as these goals are met and residents, employees, and owners realize the return on investment from this dystopian disrupting endeavor.
In 2027, we'll invite a few select clients into our portfolio to experience the Forge difference. Let me know if you'd like to be one of them.