Dave Brown is president of Burke’s Outdoor Equipment, a place where Valparaiso residents can come to find and purchase the most state-of-the-art, up-to-date technology needed for the maintenance of their yards. Besides his preoccupation with that business, he does commercial real estate consulting for a firm out of Washington, D.C., called Madison Marquette. He leads an occupied life, and he’s constantly going from place to place, incredibly intent on making the most of each of his vocations.
Brown grew up in the Region, and his hometown is Valpo. That’s where he went to high school as well. While a student, he played two sports. One was basketball. The other one was football, and he was even co-captain of the team. His skills as a footballer took him to Manchester University, where he competed for two years as an all-conference defensive back. At a certain point during his sophomore year, he decided to shift his focus toward more of the academic matters of undergraduate life, and was eventually accepted into Indiana University Bloomington’s business school as a junior.
After receiving his MBA from the University of Michigan, Brown got right to working for several REITs, or real estate investment trusts, such as Simon Property Group, once he entered the workforce. It took him some years before he bought Burke’s—until January of 2020, to be exact—but he’s been in the world of business for a fair spell. Having now spent so much time where he’s been, he’s come to realize what sales strategies are successful, the current and former landscapes of certain markets, and his favorite parts of all the jobs he’s had.
“In regard to Burke’s, for example, it’s not about what the product is, but about making sure we’re offering the best customer-service experience in the area. It all comes back to people. I’ve worked with countless real-estate professionals for years,” he said. “The projects we get to work on are amazing, and getting to work on them, as well as with the merchants involved, is a true love of mine.”
Valparaiso’s given its all to Brown. From the scenery of the city to the mentors and coaches he’s had to the education he’s had here, practically every last thing he’s experienced has had some sort of lasting impact on him, an impact he’s truly thankful for. Throughout his life, he’s been able to notice the blessings that come with residing in this area.
“As I’ve lived here, I’ve seen that the quality of education I had, the great coaches I had, and so many other things were first-class. I give it all a tremendous amount of credit for getting me to where I am today. Of course, I’ve met great friends here whom I’m still very close with to this day. The quality of the city has always been top-flight,” he said.
Brown’s daughter earned a degree in biology and is now a nurse at Denver Health in Colorado’s capital. His godson coaches basketball at Chesterton High School. Considering the successes of the younger members of his family, Brown continues to support and takes much pride in those closest to him.
Though he usually finds himself busy in numerous ways, Brown still ensures that he has time to relax and enjoy various hobbies. He’s been a fan of most sports all his life, exercise is something he regularly gets, and Sunday isn’t the only day of the week he stays present at his church.
“I’ll go to all the sports games, even the high school ones,” he said. “I took up competitive running when I was 40 and started entering races. I’ve taken it more seriously as time has gone on. I absolutely love running, and it’s one of the biggest hobbies of mine. My wife and I are very involved with our church, too.”