John has over 34 years of experience in retail and real estate development. John has a consistent record for developing and managing businesses into growing profitability through both good and turbulent economic times. His company’s successful retail operations complement his real estate development expertise.

1991 to 1994 – Director of Real Estate and Franchising, Jos A. Bank Clothier’s, Inc. John was responsible for growing the store base by 40% during his tenure.

1983 to 1991 – Various management and executive positions, Bell’s Traditional,s Ltd. (Bell’s), Bell’s was a high end classic men’s and women’s clothing company formed 1n 1957 by John’s father John W Bell, Jr. John was instrumental in expanding Bell’s from one store to five stores in three states. Bell’s operated until 1991 when it joined Jos. A. Bank Clothiers to become its first franchisee and converted stores to Jos. A. Bank stores.

Bill has over 60 years of experience in retail and real estate development. In 1957 Bill expanded his father’s general store business and formed Bell’s Traditional’s Ltd. (Bell’s), an upscale men’s and women’s clothing and gift company. In 1963 Bill opened his second store in Asheville, North Carolina’s Historic Biltmore Village, one of America’s first planned mixed-use communities built by George Vanderbilt in the 1890s. Historic Biltmore Village is located at the entrance of Vanderbilt’s famed Biltmore Estate – America’s largest home and North Carolina’s largest tourist attraction. Bill was a pioneer in the preservation and the re-development of Historic Biltmore Village. Through the years he became a substantial property holder. In 1965, Bell’s contracted with the Biltmore Estate to operate the retail business on the Estate, primarily gifts, commemorative Biltmore House items and decorative accessories. Bell’s operated this business until 1985 when the contract expired and the Biltmore Estate decided to expand into this business. Bell’s eventually grew to five stores in three states and operated until 1991 when it joined Jos. A. Bank Clothiers to become its first franchisee and converted stores to Jos. A. Bank stores.

Jay has over 30 years of experience in financial services, real estate and retail. From 2002 to 2006, Jay was on the New Orleans City Council representing District A. Currently, Jay is serving as the Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana and has been Past President and Past Chairman of the Board of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee where he continues serving on the Executive Board. Jay also serves on many New Orleans-based boards and foundations including the City Park, the Florida Parishes Bank, YMCA of Greater New Orleans, New Orleans Museum of Art, and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Crimestoppers.

In 1928, Jay’s grandfather, Harry J. Batt, Sr., founded New Orleans’s Pontchartrain Beach, the largest amusement park in the country prior to the opening of Disneyland. Eventually Jay’s father, John A. Batt, ran the company until 1983 when he decided that it was in the best interest of the Batt family to sell the park to a developer. Subsequently, the Batt family focused on the management of their substantial real estate holdings that had been acquired over the years. Jay attended the University of The South in Sewanee and graduated from Tulane University.

Fenn has over 27 years of experience in financial services, real estate and retail. Fenn is a graduate of The University of the South and the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University (MBA), and holds a broker license with the State of Louisiana.

Fenn’s grandfather, Darwin Fenner, was a partner of the firm Fenner & Beane of New Orleans, the country’s second largest brokerage firm at that time. In 1941, it merged with the stock brokerage firm Merrill, Lynch, E.A. Pierce & Cassatt of New York. The combination of the New Orleans firm with the New York firm led to the largest brokerage firm in the country, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith. Darwin Fenner served on the board of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith until the early 1970s.

Tim is Jos. A Bank’s retired Chairman and CEO—a company he served for nine years. During his tenure, the company tripled in size and completed its initial public offering. In addition, Tim served as president of Fred’s Inc., Castleberry Foods, and Otasco, all major enterprises. Tim also founded the Finley Group, a leading restructuring firm and he was also a partner at Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. Tim has served on the boards of Cole National; Cannon Mills; Baker Shoes; Jos. A. Bank; Pic ‘n’ Pay Shoes; and Venture Stores.

Tim graduated from Ohio University and has lectured at several national universities.

Chuck has over thirty years of legal experience, specializing in real estate, retail and corporate governance matters. Chuck was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. for its entire 20 plus- year existence as a publicly held company. He also served as Jos. Bank’s corporate Secretary. Chuck’s legal career began as an associate at Frank, Bernstein, Conaway and Goldman in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and Towson University.

Jim has more than 35 years’ experience in real estate, primarily in arranging financing for commercial real estate projects. His experience includes holding senior management positions for two major national banks. Jim is also a principal for Vista Commercial Mortgage Group, LLC. This position enables him to utilize Vista’s correspondent relationships with mortgage lenders in order to provide the best possible acquisition and long-term financing for both existing buildings and future acquisitions.

A native of Asheville, NC, Jim has an undergraduate degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a MBA degree from East Tennessee State University.

William joined the company in 2002 and has over 19 years of retail experience. William began his career working with the company’s Knoxville Jos. A. Bank store in shipping and receiving while attending the University of Tennessee. William quickly moved up to sales and in 2004 William earned Jos. A. Bank Clothiers President’s Club award. In the fall of 2005, he moved to Columbia, SC to open and manage the company’s first Jos. A. Bank store in the market. William was named Director of Stores in 2009 and, in 2016, named VP of Retail Operations. In 2021, William was named President | Retail Division for BPG.

William is a native of Chattanooga, TN. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Linda has over 37 years of experience in accounting and has been with the company since 1988. She manages the accounting function for the company’s retail operations, investment activities and real estate holdings.

Linda has a North Carolina Real Estate Broker license and is BPG’s Qualifying Broker.

Morgan has more than 15 years’ of experience in real estate, construction management and retail. Morgan’s work with the company began in 2001 as a Sales Associate in the company’s Knoxville Jos. A. Bank store. In 2006, Morgan was promoted and became Open Store Manager of the company’s second Jos. A. Bank store in Knoxville. In 2008, Morgan moved to Asheville to assist the company in developing an 80,000 square foot mixed-use center in Biltmore Village. In addition to being an investor in the project, Morgan served in Asheville as Director of Construction until he moved to Knoxville in 2013 and became General Manager of Knoxville.

Morgan graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Economics.

Ben is a native of Georgia and has more than a decade of experience working with attorneys, contractors, developers, retailers, and governmental entities. Moreover, Ben grew up in a family of contractors and he is familiar with building practices. Ben joined the company in 2013.

While attending The University of Texas at Austin, Ben majored in Government and served as a Business Law Teaching Assistant in UT’s McCombs School of Business. After college, Ben attended Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, where he served as President of the Second Amendment Society and was selected by the Dean to interview faculty candidates. Ben worked directly with the City Attorney for the City of Asheville prior to his graduating from law school.

From 2018 to 2021, Ben served Asheville and Buncome County as a volunteer commissioner on the Historic Resources Commission (a government entity).

Presently, Ben is a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County (a private charity).

Ben is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and holds real estate licenses in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina—he is also the company’s Broker in Charge.