50 Years of Enhancing Lives

  • 1969

    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.

  • 1971

    The first mobile home park is purchased.

  • 1977

    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.

1969-1970's
  • 1980's

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

  • 1986

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

  • 1987

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

  • Late 1980’s

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

  • 1989

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

1980's
  • Early 1990’s

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

  • 1996

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

  • 1997

    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.

  • 1998

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

1990's
  • 1998-2000

    "The Great Exchange": CWS begins the exchange of over $93 million in equity and over the next three years provides reinvestment opportunities into the apartment sector enabling investors to defer paying taxes on $136 million of gain.

  • 2003

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

  • 2006

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

  • 2009

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

2000's
  • 2010

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

  • 2015

    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.

  • 2018

    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 to charitable organizations since inception of the program.

  • 2019

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

  • 2020

    Covid-19 pandemic shuts down the economy at large but soon begins a massive growth in rents for apartments as a result of remote work and a lack of housing supply.

2010's

50 Years of Enhancing Lives

  • 1969

    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.

  • 1971

    The first mobile home park is purchased.

  • 1977

    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.

  • 1980's

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

  • 1986

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

  • 1987

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

  • Late 1980’s

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

  • 1989

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

  • Early 1990’s

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

  • 1996

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

  • 1997

    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.

  • 1998

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

  • 1998-2000

    "The Great Exchange": CWS begins the exchange of over $93 million in equity and over the next three years provides reinvestment opportunities into the apartment sector enabling investors to defer paying taxes on $136 million of gain.

  • 2003

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

  • 2006

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

  • 2009

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

  • 2010

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

  • 2015

    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.

  • 2018

    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 to charitable organizations since inception of the program.

  • 2019

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

  • 2020

    Covid-19 pandemic shuts down the economy at large but soon begins a massive growth in rents for apartments as a result of remote work and a lack of housing supply.