Biography
Welcome to Arik Kislin's Business Profile
Arik Kislin is an entrepreneur with an eye for finding opportunities where others only find trouble. One can recognize his flair for innovative real estate and investment in all of the major successes of his life.
Arik Kislin’s name first become known in New York City real estate circles when he joined a real estate management and development group with 3.6 million square feet of prime area in the city. Instead of focusing on property that already had high value, though, Kislin began developing an area of the Meatpacking District that would soon be known as the Chelsea Market Complex. Prior to this development, few real estate developers dared to take a risk on the Meatpacking District. Its condemned and empty buildings kept them out as successfully as barbed wire fences and guard dogs.
Kislin, however, saw opportunity in this area. He immediately began to develop a plan that would bring more retail stores, cultural events, restaurants, and nightclubs to the district.
The Chelsea Market Complex began to get some attention from other real estate developers, but the area did not completely take off until the next decade when Kislin partnered with the Achenbaum family to create the Gansevoort Hotel Group. Opening the Gansevoort Hotel gave affluent people a luxurious place to stay while they sought entertainment and shopping in the Meatpacking District. Soon, famous fashion designers were flocking to the area, bringing a trail of admirers and cash behind them.
Currently, the Gansevoort Hotel Group has projects underway in New York City’s Park Avenue South area and Miami’s South Beach area. It also plans to take its name brand international.
Arik Kislin has had many other successes in his entrepreneurial successes. In 1998 he became principal of a finance firm that focused on distressed debts. These are the types of debts that many companies were trying to shed desperately, but Kislin saw the potential in them. Within three years, he had helped the company develop a portfolio that was almost worth $2 billion.
Kislin has also invested heavily in the aviation industry. When he noticed Air Rutter International, a small private charter management company struggling to make an impact, he helped the company secure headquarter space at Long Beach International Airport and invested enough money to help them build maintenance and fueling facilities, a fleet of planes, and a 28,000 square foot hangar.
Today, Kislin works in the finance sector again. This time, he is principal for an investment company that uses diversified strategies to securely manage money and increase returns. For someone whose interests vary from real estate to aviation, this seems like a natural fit for the entrepreneur. It gives him the opportunity to keep his eye on a variety of industries where potential goes unnoticed by less observant investors.
Mr. Kislin’s life is not all work, though. He also enjoys spending time with his family. He is an avid fan of baseball and enjoys yachting and playing tennis. He has also been honored with a membership to the New York Friar’s Club.
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