In 2018, commercial real estate broker Moss Withers left a 10-year career with NAI Carolantic to start a Raleigh office for Los Angeles-based Lee & Associates.

The California operates more than 80 offices nationally through an unusual model that allows local leaders such as Withers to operate with more independence than the national real estate services powers CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield and JLL.

Seven years later, Lee & Associates has built up a 90-person business after this month’s acquisition of Lundy Management Group, a 25-person company started in 1986.

The move adds heft to Lee & Associates’ property management business, which oversees about 7 million square feet of property, including 4.5 million square feet in the Triangle, Withers says.

With a combined team of 50 professionals, the firm becomes the largest locally-owned property and facility management company in the Triangle, managing more than 13 million square feet. It positions itself as a contrast to national, publicly traded competitors.

The merged Cary-based company will use the Lee & Associates brand. Lundy will operate as a division, specializing in medical facilities management.

“We just picked up 25 people, including electricians, plumbers, mechanical people and others,” Withers says. People with those skills are increasingly difficult to find, and relying on subcontractors to handle a lot of work eats into the property manager’s profit margins, he notes.

With a combined team of 50 professionals, the firm becomes the largest locally-owned

“By joining forces, we are combining strengths to create greater opportunities for our clients, our teams, and the communities we serve,” Withers says.

The move reunites Withers with his elementary and middle-school friend, Jamie Baker, who will be president of the combined company. Baker’s father, Jim Baker, started Lundy in 1986, while Withers’ father, Hamilton “Tony” Withers is a cofounder of the Cary-based WithersRavenel civil engineering firm.

“The large-but-local touch is something our market has been missing,” Withers said. “Our growth has been exponential, and this merger adds even more experience to our team as we continue to scale.”

The company provides property management, building engineering, construction management, and facilities services throughout the state.

Withers began his brokerage career in 2006 and has completed more than 1,600 transactions. He spent a decade working for Steve Stroud and NAI Carolantic, which was a Triangle commercial real estate leader for decades. Carolantic is now owned by Durham-based Tri Properties.

Not long after his move to Lee & Associates, Lee says he was joined by about seven former Carolantic brokers. Meanwhile, a number of former Dilweg Properties staff members have joined the Lee property management team.

Withers has a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and an MBA from NC State University.