By Hillary Gavan
Stateline Business Writer

JANESVILLE -- "Retailers are the last American cowboys."

That's what Sara Investment Real Estate CEO Eric Schwartz said about tenants in the array of properties he's rehabilitating in Janesville.

Sara Investment Real Estate has nine major properties in Janesville and dozens of other sites in Dane County as well as in Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay, Platteville, Eau Claire and Watertown, Wis. Schwartz, 51, started out as an entrepreneur in the restaurant business, and he understands what it's like to be starting a business without a safety net.

He likes to help his tenants. To call Schwartz a hands-on sort of landlord is a gross understatement. He's the sort of guy who will read a business plan, inspect doors and comment on the menu of a restaurant if necessary. And these days in Janesville Schwartz has plenty of businesses to help. Sara Investment Real Estate, based out of Middleton, Wis. is buying up old vacant buildings and filling them up with entrepreneurs constantly.

In mid-March, Schwartz was visiting businesses inside his property at 1260 Milton Avenue -- the old Woodman's grocery store. The green mammoth building was blighted for years until Schwartz helped to renovate it in 2006.

"It really was a dump, but the structure was built like a bomb shelter," Schwartz said.

Sara Investment Real Estate invested more than $1 million in the 16,600-square-foot property. It opened last January and has only two vacancies left.

Some of its tenants include Green Autos, Domino's Pizza, Quizno's, Faith and Destiny Christian Store, Riverside Finance, and more.

Because of his investment Schwartz makes sure to keep close tabs on his properties. While at the plaza in March, for example, Schwartz made sure to check in on Faith and Destiny Christian store owners Emery and Alice Eastlick. He was pleased to learn that the new bookstore and coffee shop had increased sales during the past three months. Down at Quizno's he made a mental note to alert the owners about getting double doors, so less cold air would get in.

"I always patronize retailers in our plazas and try to help. Starting your own business is heroic work. It's not a franchise and it's not tested," Schwartz said.

Mike Venable, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial McGuire Mears and Associates, said Schwartz looks for what he calls tired properties -- those that have hidden value or are under-used.

-more-