The DESCO Group, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Clayton?(St. Louis), Missouri, has evolved from an internal real estate department of Schnuck Markets into a fully integrated, vertically structured retail real estate operator. Tapping into expertise ranging from acquisition and development to construction, property management, leasing, asset management, and finance/legal services, DESCO focuses primarily on neighborhood and grocery-anchored shopping centers in Midwest, Sunbelt, Southwest, and Southeast U.S. markets. Through its growth, the firm has deployed over US$1?billion in investment activity, managing approximately 40+ properties totaling an estimated 3.8?million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA), with over US$600?million in assets under management. Key markets include St.?Louis, Chicago, and Phoenix, with growing activity in Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona. DESCO prioritizes core-plus and value-add assets, targeting grocery-anchored, shadow-anchored, or distressed shopping centers that can be repositioned through redevelopment, leasing, and community-focused activation. Operating through institutional partnerships, family offices, and high-net-worth alliances, the firm actively acquires individual assets and portfolios to strategically grow its footprint. Tenant concentration is diversified across grocery anchors and essential services, with no single tenant dominating revenue. Leadership is anchored by President & CEO Mark J.?Schnuck, whose background in Schnuck Markets supports strategic and operational integration, including landmark redevelopments like St.?Louis’s Old Post Office. DESCO maintains a balance between stability and growth through its neighborhood retail focus while mitigating concentration risk through a diversified asset base across 4–6 geographies and multiple gateway and secondary markets.