50 Years of Enhancing Lives

Jim Clayton and Bill Williams combine their own capital along with friends and family to start Clayton and Williams. They purchased their first investment property.

The first mobile home park is purchased.

Steve Sherwood joins Clayton and Williams to form Clayton, Williams, and Sherwood, Inc. CWS implements a strong acquisition campaign for highly undervalued manufactured housing, which offers a good risk-reward relationship.

CWS establishes itself as the largest owner and operator of manufactured housing in the U.S.

First CWS-built manufactured housing community is named Creekside, located in Lewisville, Texas.

CWS makes its first international investment into five mobile home parks in Canada. Gary Carmell joins CWS.

Manufactured housing demand begins to peak while apartment sector values plummet.

CWS shifts its focus to undervalued apartment assets and purchases its first apartment community named Papillon Parc, located in Fort Worth, Texas.

A large number of loan restructurings take place within the CWS portfolio resulting in a significant reduction in debt.

First CWS apartment development projects: The Marquis at Deerfield, located in San Antonio, Texas and The Marquis at Ladera Vista, located in Austin, Texas.

CWS completes its transition from manufactured housing to apartment communities after the merger of its manufactured housing management company into a private real estate investment trust (REIT) called CWS Communities Trust.

CWS Capital Partners LLC and CWS Apartment Homes LLC are created after the sale of the manufactured housing management company. Mike Engels joins CWS.

"The Great Exchange" CWS exchanges over $93 million in equity and provides re-investment opportunities into the apartment sector enabling investors to defer paying taxes on $136 million of gain.

Relationship is forged with GE Capital to acquire multifamily properties across the nation.

CWS portfolio grows to over $1 billion in assets and over 13,000 multifamily units under management.

CWS celebrates its 40th anniversary closing the year with a portfolio of 56 properties with 15,223 units.

CWS establishes its first apartment investment fund named CWS Strategic Apartment Fund.

Within a 30-day period, CWS refinances 18 properties with over $350 million in debt, while returning $58 million to investors. CWS structures all of these loans with variable-rate financing.

Within a 30-day period, CWS refinances 12 properties with over $267 million in debt, while returning over $30 million to investors. CWS structures all of these loans with variable-rate financing. BRIDGE corporate volunteer program surpasses $1 million in total donated funds since inception of the program.

CWS celebrates its 50th anniversary as an owner and operator of 101 properties, with 29,078 units valued at over $4.5 billion.