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SALISBURY, MD---Bret Davis ‘13 always has been an entrepreneur at heart.

As a ºÚÁÏÍø student from Montgomery County, MD, he got his start in real estate, buying houses and other properties to renovate and flip for profit.

A decade after earning his B.S. in international business from SU, he continues in the field today as co-owner, with his brother Kirk, of Davis Strategic Development, LLC, a brokerage, commercial development and property management firm in downtown Salisbury.

“I really enjoy this area,” he said. “SU brought me here. We would like to play a major part in making this area so much better.”

Davis and his team of about 25 employees have been involved in several high-visibility development projects in Salisbury and other area municipalities, including One Plaza East, formerly the historic Wicomico Hotel on East Main Street, just a quarter-mile from his office.

Other major projects have included the City Center building in downtown Salisbury and, currently, the city’s 300,000-square-foot former Campbell’s Soup factory.

Through his latest venture, Simple Fiber, a communication service provider, Davis’ reach has grown even more, serving high-profile clients including the City of Salisbury, Wicomico County Board of Education and local TV and radio stations.

Davis believes in giving back to his Alma Mater. He recently worked with Dr. Jing Quan, chair of SU’s Information and Decision Sciences Department and a mentor during his student days, on a tour of Simple Fiber’s offices.

“Bret is truly enthusiastic in giving back,” said Quan. He came to my class and spoke to the students. He also welcomed my students to his downtown data center for a study tour. My students have learned a lot from his real world experience that help them relate to what is being taught in the classroom.”

Davis visits classrooms in SU’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business several times a year to share his insights as a local business owner, allowing him to reconnect with other Perdue faculty mentors, such as Dr. Leonard Arvi, professor of finance. (He also teaches real estate courses at nearby Wor-Wic Community College.)

The lessons he learned in many of those same classrooms still serve him well today.

“A lot of the financial strategies they taught us in class are theories that make you think a little bit differently than you would if you didn’t have that background,” he said. “A lot of times that comes into play for us in the real world.”

In addition, Davis works closely with Dr. Tammy Donaway, director of the Perdue School’s Applied Business Learning Experience (ABLE) program, to recruit up to three SU interns per semester — some of whom have gone on to become full-time employees.

“We believe in hiring locally,” he said. “I love our relationship with SU. It’s one of the best assets on the Eastern Shore.”

Learn more about opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.