Brentwood - Crye-Leike of Nashville, Inc. has committed to participate in Middle Tennessee's United Way campaign, a first for a real estate brokerage firm, according to local United Way Officials.

While the relationship between United Way and Crye-Leike is not new, it is the first time that sales associates within Crye-Leike's Middle Tennessee branch offices will have the opportunity to support the agencies in their communities. Crye-Leike in Memphis has held an agent/employee United Way campaign over the past four years, raising a total of $52,000 in contributions.

"Crye-Leike of Nashville has grown significantly since we opened our first office in 1992, " said Harold Crye, chief executive officer of Crye-Leike. "With a sales force of over 900 sales associates and a staff of over 200 in the Greater Nashville area, Crye-Leike of Nashville is now in a position to join our counterparts in Memphis by partnering with United Way."

Since the corporate offices for Crye-Leike of Nashville are located in Brentwood, United Way of Williamson County will lead the effort.

"This United Way partnership with a real estate firm is unique to the Middle Tennessee market," said Cindy Scearce, campaign coordinator for United Way of Williamson County. United Way of Williamson County will be coordinating the United Way campaigns for Crye-Leike's branch offices in Davidson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties.

"Each partnering United Way office will work directly with the Crye-Leike branch manager in their area to provide specific information on local agencies during Crye-Leike's September sales meetings," said Scearce.

 

"We're thrilled that Crye-Leike has joined a growing list of corporate citizens who are committed to supporting United Way in their community," said Karen Mitchell, United Way of Sumner County's executive director. "This is a first for the real estate community and we are encouraged that others may follow Crye-Leike's example."

Crye-Leike (www.crye-leike.com) , the largest real estate firm in Tennessee and the Midsouth, has over 2,200 sales associates who operate in 46 branch offices, located in 19 counties and six regional areas, Arkansas, Chattanooga, Johnson City, Memphis, Mississippi and Nashville. Crye-Leike also has five franchise offices in New Albany, Oxford and Tupelo, Miss., Blytheville, Ark. and Monteagle, Tenn. As a privately held company with over 480 employees, it attained record sales of $3.3 billion corporatewide in 1999, the best year reported in company history. Nationally, Crye-Leike is ranked No. 10 among the nation's top 500 residential real estate brokerage firms and No. 3 among the nation's largest 161 privately owned independent real estate companies, as reported in May 2000 by REAL Trends Magazine.