Industry Veterans Marty Arrivo and Aracibo Quintana Bring Unmatched Expertise to RIPCO’s Brickell Office
Miami, FL – May 1, 2024: RIPCO Real Estate (RIPCO) announces the acquisition of Acre, a prominent Miami-based retail leasing and tenant representation brokerage renowned for reshaping the retail landscape across Southern Florida. This strategic acquisition, RIPCO’s second M&A transaction in as many years, significantly enhances its leasing and tenant representation operations by integrating an experienced team and establishing new benchmarks in the region’s retail real estate sector, improving its service offerings to clients. Under the leadership of seasoned professionals Marty Arrivo and Aracibo Quintana, Acre has revitalized urban districts into vibrant commercial hubs. Notable projects include Related Companies’ $2.5 billion redevelopment of The Square in West Palm Beach, which features top-tier tenants like Design Within Reach, Anthropologie, West Elm, lululemon, and Sweetgreen, and introducing prominent brands like Tacombi, LUCID, and Nike Rise to Miami. Acre’s representation of world-class tenants such as Nike, LUCID Motors, The Henry, Forward, and Starbucks helped attract them to Brickell City Centre.
RIPCO President Mark Kaplan expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating:
“Adding Marty, Aracibo, and the entire Acre team to RIPCO represents a transformative step for RIPCO. Their expertise and market credibility are unsurpassed, and I am thrilled about our collaboration to enhance our retail leasing capabilities in South Florida. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in our strategy to compete for and secure the most prestigious leasing assignments in the market.”
Marty Arrivo, reflecting on the new chapter, said:
“Joining RIPCO allows us to leverage their extensive backend services and robust client base to elevate the retail environments we are passionate about creating. I am thrilled to integrate our vision with RIPCO’s capabilities to serve the dynamic South Florida market better.”
Aracibo Quintana added:
“This partnership with RIPCO significantly broadens our reach and capabilities. Their strong industry presence and extensive client network provide a solid platform to scale our operations and continue creating unique retail experiences that meet the demands of modern retail brands and their consumers.”
Marty Arrivo brings over two decades of specialized expertise in retail real estate, significantly impacting areas like Brickell and the Miami Design District. With a strong background in landlord and tenant representation, mixed-use development, and strategic leasing, Marty has facilitated nearly 4 million square feet of transactions across Florida, reshaping retail landscapes in Wynwood, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Notably, he led the retail strategy and leasing for the $2.5 billion redevelopment of downtown West Palm Beach’s urban core, now known as The Square, turning it into a high-profile growth market with new Class A office spaces, luxury apartments, and world-class restaurants. His achievements include leading the repositioning and leasing for Dania Pointe with Kimco and successfully attracting significant brands like Nike, Sephora, J. Crew, H&M, and others. His previous roles included senior managing director at RKF and leasing representative at Kite Realty Group Trust, which deepened his market insights and made him a leader in the field.
Aracibo Quintana brings over 25 years of global retail real estate expertise to RIPCO, specializing in strategic development and tenant representation across four continents. His roles as Director of Americas Real Estate at Apple and Senior Director of Real Estate & Construction at Nike have enabled him to oversee more than 1,000 transactions worldwide as an in-house Real Estate Executive. Aracibo has launched market entries for brands like LUCID Motors, Nike Rise, Nike Live, Tacombi, and Forward, and also assisted Barry’s with the relocation of their HQ from Los Angeles to Wynwood. A South Florida native, his extensive global experience and national insights make him a crucial asset to RIPCO. He is a licensed real estate sales associate in Florida and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Marty and Aracibo, who will serve as Executive Vice Presidents, Elizabeth Higgins, Director, and Associate Sam Paniello, will join the RIPCO South Florida team and work from the Brickell office. Their guidance promises to continue innovating and expanding RIPCO’s impact in the region, further strengthening RIPCO’s expertise and service offerings in South Florida. This move is a testament to RIPCO’s commitment to growing across all its geographies and service lines.
This strategic expansion ensures that RIPCO’s clients, whether entering or growing in the Florida market, will receive distinctive expertise and comprehensive support, reinforcing RIPCO’s commitment to excellence in real estate. This acquisition follows RIPCO’s first successful merger and acquisition of BCD in 2022, significantly expanding RIPCO’s food and beverage offerings.