A partner with Trinity Partners in Columbia, Stomski said his business ramped up in 2020 after the temporary halt due to Covid early in the year. In fact, transactional volume is near an all-time high.

“Many companies are expanding and gobbling up industrial space to serve the e-commerce market as we continue to urbanize bulk distribution,” Stomski said.

Stomski, along with Bruce Harper, Macon Lovelace and Roger Winn, partnered with Trinity to open the firm’s fourth location (the second in South Carolina) in Columbia in 2018 and quickly distinguished themselves. The pandemic may have led to a boom, but Stomski’s success story began long before that. Since 2014, 11 speculative projects are now almost 100 percent leased, making the theme to his success story “staying power” — staying in touch with clients, staying in front of community partners and staying sharp in terms of business trends and the latest technology. 

“It’s crucial to get back with people, as simple as that sounds. Being responsive keeps things from getting dragged out, and timing is critical. We want to stay at the forefront of people’s minds and be considered the local experts, so when big companies do come to town, we’re ready to be of service,” he said.

As further evidence of that staying power, Stomski has consistently been recognized for his production as a Top Industrial Leasing and Sales Broker over the past decade. He received his SIOR® (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors) designation within his first five years in the business, and in 2016, Columbia Business Monthly named him one of the Best and Brightest Under 35.

Originally from the Detroit area, Stomski double majored in real estate and entrepreneurial management at the University of South Carolina. An internship at a boutique agency back home solidified his career choice, but the opportunity to specialize in industrial development came with a position at NAI Avant. Although it was difficult to get started in the Palmetto State in a new submarket, his initiative ensured his effectiveness.

“NAI Avant had a void in industrial leasing. Everything I knew was from my limited exposure to commercial real estate, but rather than wait for assignments, I started making calls, meeting community leaders and building a network,” he said.

Trinity now leases and manages more than 20 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space across the Carolinas. In the immediate future, Stomski will be dealing with a good problem — a lack of “product.” He’ll be working on flex space, along with development and redevelopment projects, to bring Class A properties to the market. Thinking long-term, Stomski said he and his partners enjoy the challenge of training new talent and watching others grow in their profession. Trinity’s culture fosters collaboration; the Main Street office sometimes sounds like Wall Street with its open workspaces and multiple brokers on calls.

“It’s an understatement to say we stay busy,” Stomski said. “We want to keep growing the office and industrial footprint here in the Midlands.”