HORSHAM, PA — MRA Group, a privately held real estate development and services firm with a multibillion-dollar footprint across the Mid-Atlantic, has unveiled a sweeping leadership transition designed to propel the company into its next era of expansion while preserving the culture that has defined it for more than three decades.
Founder Larry Stuardi is stepping into the role of chairman of the board, while longtime executive Mike Wojewodka will assume the title of chief executive officer in addition to continuing as president. Phil Butler will remain executive vice president, rounding out a leadership trio that has driven the company’s growth for more than 20 years.
The changes mark what MRA described as a carefully planned evolution for the firm, which Stuardi founded 35 years ago and built into a major developer of healthcare facilities, innovation campuses and corporate real estate.
“From our founding, MRA has been about vision, integrity, and long-term relationships,” Stuardi said. “Our strength has always come from our people and our partners. Mike and Phil have embraced those qualities completely, and I am supremely confident in their ability to guide the company into its next era.”
Wojewodka joined MRA more than 22 years ago and has played a central role in diversifying the company’s portfolio and expanding its regional footprint. Butler, who has been with the firm for nearly a decade, has led operational innovation and new partnership strategies that have pushed MRA into emerging sectors.
Together, they are currently overseeing one of the company’s most ambitious projects: the transformation of the 1.3-million-square-foot Chestnut Run Innovation and Science Park campus in Wilmington. The site includes a newly announced long-term lease with Merck for a 470,000-square-foot biotechnology manufacturing facility and a nearly completed Marriott Residence Inn.
Over the past three and a half decades, MRA has completed more than $2 billion in projects, forging long-term relationships with health systems, universities and corporations by serving as developer, strategic adviser and property manager. The company has become one of the region’s leading builders of healthcare and life sciences campuses, a sector that continues to surge as biotechnology and medical research expand.
Under the new structure, Stuardi will also lead a newly formed MRA Advisory Board, bringing together professionals from finance, strategy and development to provide guidance on the firm’s long-term vision and major decisions.
“This transition is about evolution,” Wojewodka said. “Larry’s vision laid the foundation for MRA’s success. Our task now is to build upon that foundation with the same principles, energy, and integrity that have always defined who we are.”
Butler said the company’s culture has been built to last. “We’ve built an organizational structure and a culture that is designed to endure,” he said. “That work has prepared us to seize new opportunities while maintaining the trust, ability to execute, and excellence our clients and partners expect.”
MRA said its focus remains squarely on creating and operating innovative environments that support growth across healthcare, life sciences and advanced technology, sectors it sees as central to the region’s future.
“Larry’s leadership has guided MRA through decades of growth, change, and success,” Wojewodka said. “As Phil and I take on this next phase, we’ll continue to draw on his knowledge and the experiences that have shaped MRA from its beginning. Having Larry’s counsel as chairman strengthens our ability to expand our vision and carry the company’s momentum forward for years to come.”
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.