ABOUT US

Pelican Industrial (formerly Greenberg Gibbons Properties), founded in 2021 by Alex Laperouse, Drew Thigpen, Brian Gibbons, and David Williams, is focused on developing best-in-class Class-A light industrial properties across the United States.

Rooted in more than five decades of experience through Greenberg Gibbons Commercial, Pelican Industrial combines institutional development expertise with the agility of a focused, entrepreneurial team. The firm is committed to becoming the developer and landlord of choice for modern occupiers while fostering a culture of ownership, partnership, and disciplined execution.

ALEX LAPEROUSE

President & Partner

Alex serves as President and Partner of Pelican Industrial, providing the strategic vison and overseeing all operations. Before co-founding Pelican Industrial, he started his career in various mixed-use development roles ranging from property/asset management, finance & acquisitions for our sister company, touching many facets of their $1.5B portfolio. He received his B.A. from Clemson University’s Business College and holds his M.S. in Real Estate from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University. In his spare time, he is an avid fisherman, pickle ball player, coaches his kids sports teams and enjoys sharing his passions with his wife and four children. Although Alex is from Louisiana, he and his family reside in Annapolis, Maryland.

DREW THIGPEN

Vice President, Development & Partner

Drew serves as Vice President of Development and Partner at Pelican Industrial, leading all development activities. With more than a decade of experience delivering projects all over the globe across four different continents, he and his team provide best in-class project delivery. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson and his M.S. in Real Estate from MIT. When not working, he enjoys anything outdoors and active, especially desperately (and often unsuccessfully) attempting not to fall out of wheel at hot yoga. Originally from Louisiana, Drew currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Brian Gibbons

Investment Committee Chairman & Partner

Brian serves as the Investment Committee Chairman of Pelican Industrial, setting strategic vision for innovative developments throughout the country. Throughout his career at Greenberg Gibbons he has overseen the acquisition, leasing, finance, and management of over 12,000,000sf of past and current projects with a value in excess of $2 billion. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Maryland.

David Williams

Executive Chairman & Partner

David serves as the Executive Chairman for Pelican Industrial, and helps architect institutional level processes and helps develop long-term strategic plans for the firm. His illustrious career includes acquiring and growing Merkle, Inc., one of the largest marketing services companies in the world. Through David’s vision and efforts, Merkle grew from 22 employees to over 10,000 employees becoming a $4 billion company. He has a successful track record of scaling companies across industries.

EXECUTIVES

OUR TEAM

Barron Chiu

Associate, Finance & Process Improvement

Barron serves as an Industrial Analyst at Pelican Industrial and oversees the underwriting of new development deals, helps manage relationships with capital partners, and assists the president in strategic planning. He joined Pelican Industrial in 2022 after receiving his B.A. in Public Health and M.S. in Real Estate & Infrastructure from The Johns Hopkins University. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan, is an avid Porsche fan, owns two tortoises and two chinchillas, and enjoys swimming in his free time.

Conor Devlin

Industrial Asset Manager

Conor serves as the Industrial Asset Manager for Pelican Industrial, overseeing the implementation of business plans developed at acquisition, including management, marketing, repositioning, and leasing of assets. He has over fifteen years of institutional industrial management experience. He was with Cushman & Wakefield before joining Pelican Industrial. He received is B.A. from UMBC where he was a member of the men’s lacrosse team. An Annapolis native and resident of Severna Park, MD; in his spare time he is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids.

Austin Groves

Director of Construction

Austin serves as the Director of Construction and Tenant Coordination for Pelican Industrial, working with acquisitions on initial site and building design and entitlements, overseeing all site and building construction related activities, & working with the leasing department and tenants to permit and build-out spaces at all projects. Prior to joining Pelican Industrial, he worked for Wachovia Bank in their corporate banking department in Winston-Salem, NC and Norfolk, VA. He has been with Greenberg Gibbons on their retail and light industrial sides for 24+ years. He earned a Business Management degree with a concentration in Finance and MBA from Clemson University. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, outdoor activities, and coaching sports with his wife and six kids.

Tilghman Herring

Head of Acquisitions

Tilghman serves as Head of Acquisitions for Pelican Industrial, overseeing the sourcing and underwriting of potential commercial real estate acquisitions. He has over 17 years of experience in acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing. Before joining Pelican Industrial, Tilghman was the managing director and co-founder of a privately held real estate investment company focused on value-add industrial properties. Prior to that he led acquisitions for a Maryland based private equity firm and spent 9 years with Cushman & Wakefield, specializing in industrial leasing and sales. He received his B.S. in Business Administration and M.B.A. from Mount St. Mary’s University. Tilghman resides in Annapolis, MD with his wife and two children and loves spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, crabbing, and boating with his family. He also has a passion for service and is an active leader for a local non-profit.

Ross Lytle

Director of Tenant Coordination

Ross Lytle is the Director of Tenant Coordination at Pelican Industrial, where he manages tenant improvement projects. He joined the company in September 2025. Ross earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of New Orleans and holds general contracting licenses in North Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Throughout his career he has handled multiple multi million dollar oil well installs, large scale foundation work, worked directly with the USACE on vital infrastructure projects and has gained a wealth of knowledge with these experiences. A native of New Orleans, Ross enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and their toy poodle, Tux.

Colton Murphy

Market Leader – Florida

Colton serves as Market Leader for Pelican Industrial, overseeing the sourcing, underwriting, and execution of development opportunities across Central Florida. He brings the better part of a decade focused on shallow-bay industrial brokerage, investment, and development with a background at Henry Group Real Estate. Colton holds a B.S. in Real Estate Finance and Accounting from Clemson University. When he is not in the office, he enjoys fly fishing, upland hunting with his dogs, and cheering on the Tigers with his fiancé. Colton currently resides in Tampa, Florida.

Diane Paris

Property Manager – Carolinas

Diane serves as the property manager for the Carolinas focusing on all aspects of property management and tenant coordination. She brings 25 years of property management experience. She started her career in multifamily & residential and converted over to industrial property management in 2015. Her experience covers leasing, accounting, marketing, & managing multi-tenant portfolios. During this time, she found a new love of the development side of the light industrial space. A Charlotte, NC native and resident, Diane enjoys being with her family, husband and two daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys her equines and competing in shows with her oldest daughter.

Austin Pipkin

Market Leader – Texas

Austin serves as Market Leader for Pelican Industrial, overseeing the sourcing, underwriting, and execution of all Dallas | Forth Worth development opportunities. With nearly a decade of industry experience, he has contributed through several faucets of the real estate development process, delivering projects with an aggregate value surpassing $1.0B. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and his MBA from Southern Methodist University with concentrations in Real Estate and Finance. Outside of work, he enjoys playing pickleball, golfing, and watching the Longhorns every Saturday in the fall. Originally from Houston, Austin currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Chris Streiff

Director of Finance

Chris Streiff is the Director of Finance for Pelican Industrial, leading all financial functions, including accounting, reporting, treasury, tax, lease administration, and budgeting. He has over 25 years of experience in finance and accounting within the real estate industry, where he oversees SEC reporting, corporate governance, process optimization and strategic financial planning. Prior to joining Pelican Industrial, Chris held senior leadership roles at Howard Hughes Holdings (Corporate Controller | Senior Vice President, Finance) and MMA Capital Holdings (Chief Accounting Officer).

QUINN WESTERN

Senior Accountant

Quinn serves as the Senior Accountant and Lease Administrator for Pelican Industrial. Focusing on strategic reporting, funding, and tenant relations. Prior to joining Pelican Industrial, he worked as a Yardi software consultant. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Frostburg State University. In his spare time, he likes to play rugby and enjoy the company of his friends and family.