Mark Duclos, president of Hartford-based Sentry Commercial, is a commercial real estate industry veteran and a go-to resource on the region’s industrial sector.
He’s been focused lately on growing his firm’s presence across the state.
He recently led the merger between Sentry — which provides brokerage and advisory, property, construction and facilities management services — and Commercial Development Co. in Orange.
The deal, which was completed in September, gives Sentry a stronger presence in the south-central region of the state.
Duclos has also been involved in a few big deals over the past year, including GXO Logistics’ lease renewal for 528,997 square feet of space in a North Haven industrial complex, at 300 Montowese Ave.
Overall, Duclos said the industrial market remains on the “quiet side.” There are some new projects in the works, like Amazon’s plans to build distribution centers in Waterbury and Enfield, “but activity is much shallower than in the past.”
The office market remains even quieter, he said.
“Large footprints in office buildings that aren’t top-of-the-line remain challenged,” he said, while “smaller and medium-sized office leases still appear to be active, albeit not robust by any means.”
Duclos is active in the region’s real estate community. He has been on the boards of the Hartford Real Estate Finance Association and CT/Western Massachusetts chapter of the Society of Industrial & Office Realtors.
An alum of the American International College in Springfield, Mass., Duclos, prior to founding Sentry in 1991, worked for Griffin Land, The Farley Co., and Hart Corp.