Professional Profile: James DePaolo - 1974

Name: James DePaolo - 1974

Title: President

Company: North Atlantic Properties

Location: N/A

Birthplace: N/A

James DePaolo, president of North Atlantic Properties in Lynn, just turned 43 and he and his 60 person firm are busier than ever marketing and developing properties and land from New England to Tennessee.   The son of builder Vincent DePaolo, 68, worked for for his dad as a youngster when he constructed fine homes throughout Newton, Marblehead, Swampscott and other communities in the state. The elder DePaolo is still working, by the way.   Kim calls himself a “self made businessman.” He started in the field “without a quarter,” first as a salesman then as a sales trainer and motivator, and still considers himself a good salesman.   After graduation from Chelsea High School in 1949, he attended Staley College for three years (courses in speech, radio, theatre) and later went to work with New England Electric. While managing the utility’s offices in Melrose and Medford, he began developing properties on his own, including the Pincrest Family Recreation Park and Countryside Acres.   In 1964, he became regional manger of American Central Co., completing Pinecrest, Birchwood Hideaway, Chocorua Ski & Beach Club while selling $3.5 million worth of property. Four years later he joined to organize the North American Co. and developed Highland Shores in Falmouth and Clipper Ship Shoals.   Altogether, Jim and his associates have over 30 years of land development experience. The North Atlantic story has been a remarkable one. The firm’s first three developments with the signs of better things to come, he says. With sales nearing the $2 million mark for the latest projects, Jim feels projected sales could reach $6.5 million.   Seawood Springs is a 700-acre parcel at the gateway to the Cape and is one of the finest in this part of the country. Sunset Lake is a 300-acre man0made body of water about an hour west of Boston with 100 homesites remaining.   The firm is also marketing Brickyard Mt. (Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.) condos being developed by Max Wasserman. The Cambridge land developer calls the 188-unit complex “Condomaxiums.”   Leaving New England, North Atlantic is also involved in selling vacation home sites in the Indian Lakes area of the Adirondack Mts. in New York for a Montreal developer. Jim is also reaching south into Tennessee where his firm is starting to market 300 lots on 1,800 acres of water at the Silver Springs Resort.   And just when we went to press, we learned that North Atlantic is joint venturing Eagle Point in Bar Harbor, Me. The one to four-acre ocean front lots start at $10,000, “the best buy in New England.”   It all started as a salesman, Jim says, and he credits his selling acumen and sales motivational training for his success.   Married with three children, the young developer was a major factor in the formation a couple of years ago of the Land Association of New England. He was its first president and is now secretary-treasurer. Jim also served as a vice president of American Land Development Association.   The New England group is made up of members from all of the six states and recently held a successful workshop at which the new HUD/OILSR regulations were discussed.