A Legacy of Excellence For Nearly Half a Century.
The Ronto Group has been building a solid reputation for imaginative vision, steadfast integrity and reliable performance. Headquartered in Naples, Ronto’s expertise in land development and construction has been recognized internationally for communities that are lasting examples of thoughtful planning, dedicated craftsmanship and exemplary of the luxury lifestyle.
The Company
Founded in 1967 by A. Jack Solomon, the Ronto Group is a family company now managed his son Anthony. Many Ronto employees have been with the firm for years, a testament to the quality of the personal relationships that are so highly prized by the Solomon family. Those relationships extend beyond the company, to include suppliers, contractors, land owners, investors and customers. Maintaining their reputation for integrity and performance is the first priority of the entire Ronto organization.
The Executive
Anthony Solomon is Executive Vice President and Owner of the Ronto Group. Anthony is responsible for Ronto’s day to day operations including sourcing opportunities, financing and overall execution of projects. Since assuming the role of Executive Vice President in 2010, Anthony has been responsible for the sourcing and execution of approximately $1.5 billion in real estate ventures. Anthony has extensive experience working with private equity real estate investors including Angelo, Gordon and Company, Rockpoint Group, and Wheelock Street Capital. Anthony holds a B.A. from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Executive VP / Owner, The Ronto Group
The Ronto Group Team
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor is Senior Vice President of Land Development for The Ronto Group and has been with the company for 40 years. Mark is responsible for all land development activities, including budgeting, permitting, and construction of infrastructure. In addition, Mark oversees all amenity construction for Ronto’s master planned communities, including clubhouses, aquatic facilities, and gatehouses. Mark has overseen construction of three 18 hole and one 27 hole golf courses. Mark has been responsible for development of approximately 7,000 home sites.
Karen Welks
Karen Welks is the Chief Financial Officer for The Ronto Group and has been with the company for 27 years. With nearly 40 years of experience in Finance and Accounting, Karen, as the CFO of The Ronto Group, is responsible for all finance and accounting activity with the partners and projects. Those responsibilities include cash flow management, cost control, budgeting, new project analysis, financial reporting and projections. In addition, she works with banks and other financial institutions on development and construction loans. Karen has over 25 years of real estate development, management and financial experience in Florida. Originally from a Philadelphia suburb, Karen has been a resident Marco Island Florida since 1993.
Kathy Miller
Kathy Miller is the Marketing Director for The Ronto Group and has been with the company for 22 years. Kathy is responsible for taking each of the Ronto projects to market and develops individual marketing plans for each, totaling nearly $5 million in advertising. Overseeing the development of each campaign, she has been a part of 12 of Ronto’s projects. Kathy also acts as the IT liaison for the company. A Fine Arts major and Pennsylvania native, Kathy’s career began as the traffic manager for a home shopping network on Lifetime TV. Throughout her career, Kathy has worked in sales and marketing, information technology, purchasing, accounting, HR and is a licensed Realtor in Florida. The Ronto projects have won numerous Collier Building and Industry awards over the years, especially in advertising. Kathy has been named Marketing Director of the Year in 2015 and 2017.
Andy Hjortaas
Andy Hjortaas, VP of Condominium Development, joined the team in 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University, where he was a varsity swimmer, and an MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University. He began his career as a commercial real estate banker and, in 2001, transitioned into the real estate development business with WCI Communities, Inc. as a member of the Tower Division where he became entrenched in all aspects of condominium development. Andy is a licensed real estate broker in Florida. Andy oversees the execution of our condominium developments, from acquisition through legal creation, design, sales, development and closing. In this role his focus is on three key activities; first, selling units, second, managing risk and third, controlling costs. He works closely with customers and associations to ensure a smooth transition from the developer to the end-users.
Chris Hanlon
Christopher Hanlon founding member of PACT Real Estate Group was employed 16 years with a large publicly traded homebuilder. Mr. Hanlon was named Chief Operating Officer of Tower Homebuilding and a Senior Vice President in 2004. Mr. Hanlon was responsible for the tower residential development nationwide. During his tenure, Mr. Hanlon developed a large team of skilled professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise that successfully expanded the Tower Homebuilding Division. The Division developed 85 towers with a sell-out of approximately $7.3 billion.
Stefan Johansson
Stefan Johansson founding member of PACT Real Estate Group has over 25 years of real estate experience in the U.S. He has had extensive experience developing luxury towers, as well as planning and building large master planned lifestyle communities. Stefan held key positions including Division President and Regional President for the Tower Division for a large publicly traded homebuilder. He is a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker. Attained a General Securities License Series 7, received Certified Real Estate Broker and Certified New Home Specialist designations. Born and educated in Sweden, he has spent most his professional career in Florida.
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