Sep. 16, 2009 (PR Newswire) --

SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that Samuel Winterbottom has joined the company as senior vice president, director of the company's Hotels, Golf & Leisure Practice Group, effective immediately. Winterbottom brings 30 years of experience that includes senior leadership positions and extensive relationships with owners, investors and brokerage professionals throughout the hospitality industry.

In his new role, Winterbottom will be charged with expanding the company's existing hospitality capabilities. This includes recruiting experienced brokerage sales professionals to build a specialized team dedicated to providing strategic real estate services targeted toward owners and investors throughout the hospitality and leisure industries. He will be based in the company's Atlanta office.

"Grubb & Ellis has spent the past 18 months expanding and elevating its service offerings with the addition of experienced professionals who can leverage the company's integrated platform to better service our clients," said Greg Coxon, president, Brokerage Services. "Sam has incredible industry expertise and relationships as well as insight into what our clients need from their real estate services provider. We couldn't be more pleased that Sam has decided to join Grubb & Ellis."

Winterbottom brings a proven track record in development, operations and franchising that spans all aspects of the hospitality industry and includes the acquisition, development and disposition of assets with some of the industry's leading brands, including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Ramada Worldwide, Inc.

"There couldn't be a better time for me to join Grubb & Ellis," Winterbottom said. "The company is leveraging its national footprint and scale to develop practice groups based upon the needs of its clients. Having spent my career in the hotel industry, I've been on both sides of the table as buyer and seller, and I know what owners and investors are looking for, and have the relationships, insights and skills necessary to bring a transaction to a close."

"As the hospitality industry looks for ways to operate more efficiently in the current environment and better position themselves for a recovery, there is a significant opportunity for service providers to assist owners and operators with their real estate strategies," he continued, adding, " Grubb & Ellis will be that service provider."

Most recently, Winterbottom was chief executive officer and president of eSuites Hotels LLC, a Tampa, Fla.,-based lifestyle hotel brand that was a new proprietary brand built from the ground up.