About Us
A Vision Based on Community
Our Core Values
Genuine Empowering Principled Committed
History
It All Started in 1967
The organizations that comprise Merritt Companies originally grew out of Merritt Properties, which today owns and manages more commercial space than any privately held developer in the Baltimore/Washington area: nearly 16 million square feet in more than 70 locations. Our commitment to doing what’s right for our customers is evident not only in Merritt Properties, but in the way Merritt Construction Services and Merritt Clubs serve the region.
See how we’ve grown and stayed true to our vision.
Born in 1930, Leroy is raised in a blue collar area dominated by the local steel mill and shipyard. As a young boy working in his parents’ restaurant during the Depression, Leroy learns early the importance of pitching in, working hard and taking care of your customers. With a strong work ethic and aspirations beyond a job in the steel mill, Leroy earns a Senatorial Scholarship to attend Western Maryland College where his entrepreneurial spirit leads him to his first business venture—selling hotdogs and sandwiches in the dorms at night after the cafeteria closed. During summers home from college, he is given his start in construction, working for his uncles who had established a masonry business after returning from World War II.
1930Leroy Merritt born in Depression-era Dundalk, Maryland 
After graduating from college and serving the two-year teaching commitment required by his scholarship, Leroy begins building houses, often on spec. He builds more than 60 homes in 10 years.
1953Leroy Merritt begins building houses 
In search of an honest builder with whom to partner on apartment buildings, Ed St. John is pointed to Leroy. The two agree to work together. However, instead of apartment buildings, they decide to take advantage of the burgeoning demand for rental warehouse space, a revolutionary concept at the time. They complete their first building—16,000 square feet at 2900 Stafford Street—in southwest Baltimore City, which begins a four-year collaboration between the two men.
1967Leroy Merritt partners with Ed St. John 
After four years, Leroy and Ed recognize that they each have their own unique philosophy on business and agree to split the company. Rather than employing a cast of lawyers and accountants, Ed divides the properties into two groups, and Leroy chooses. They move forward separately, each building successful commercial real estate companies and remaining life-long, friendly competitors. After the split, Leroy moves his company into its first offices on Brighton Avenue.
1971Leroy and Ed divide the company 
Scott Dorsey, Leroy’s cousin, joins Leroy’s new company after having spent 5 summers with his father’s concrete company pouring floors for Ed and Leroy’s warehouses. For years, Leroy and Scott share a “desk” made from a door set atop filing cabinets. This allows Scott to learn first-hand Leroy’s approach to business and gift for building long-lasting relationships with customers and vendors alike.
1972Scott Dorsey joins the company 
Wishing to make his simple brick warehouses look a little nicer for his customers, Leroy decides to add a mansard roof to two buildings at Aylesbury Business Center. He is surprised to receive a call from the county, expressing concern that the roof may not meet code requirements. While meeting with county officials to review the mansard, a senior official suggests to Leroy that the issue can easily be resolved with a $5,000 contribution to the county executive’s re-election campaign. Leroy refuses and spends over $13,000 fighting the county. He prevails and to this day, the mansard roof is a signature design element on Merritt buildings. The mansard also becomes a symbol to Merritt employees, reminding them of Leroy’s mantra to do what’s right, not what is expedient.
1972First mansard roof installed at Aylesbury Business Center 
As a recognizable feature on Merritt buildings and a symbol of Leroy’s basic business principles, the mansard roof is incorporated into the company’s logo.
1977Merritt's mansard logo is born 
At the forefront of the racquetball craze, Merritt is approached to lease space for courts in Towson, MD. Unfortunately, once the space is completed, Leroy learns that the investors have backed out of the deal. Recognizing a new opportunity, Leroy takes over the business and opens the first Merritt racquetball facility, the Towson Court Club.
1977Leroy opens his first athletic facility, the Towson Court Club 
Always interested in new technologies and the efficiencies they bring, Merritt adds the IBM System 32 to the office.
1978Merritt enters the computer age 
The Towson Court Club is a success. As the racquetball craze continues, Merritt decides to open another court club. The Annapolis Club opens. Merritt decides to capitalize on the social aspect of racquetball and adds a full-service bar to the club for members. It’s a hit.
1979Annapolis Club opens 
Merritt opens its third court club. The Security Club is the site of many national racquetball championship matches. Some of these matches are televised.
1980Merritt moves corporate offices to Security Boulevard and opens Security Club 
Wanting to bring a first-class office building to customers in the suburbs, Merritt builds Timonium I & II with high-end finishes and building amenities expected in a downtown office.
1986Merritt builds its first multi-story office building in Timonium 
As the racquetball craze begins to wane, the clubs take advantage of new fitness trends and shift to full-service Athletic Clubs.
1986Clubs evolve from racquetball to full-service clubs 
Dating back to the late 1800s, this iconic waterfront building originally served as home to the Scarlett Seed Company. Merritt transformed the building, combining unique office and retail spaces that integrate contemporary design with the historical architecture and industrial character of the original building.
1987Merritt's first historic renovation at 729 E. Pratt Street 
Merritt takes over the Downtown Athletic Club. This historic building was a former train repair station in the early 1900s. Members can still see the arches of the building where trains were brought in for repair. The building has the only wooden roof truss system in the state.
1989Downtown Athletic Club opens 
Situated in the heart of the burgeoning Columbia business district, Merritt begins construction on an 18-acre park that will ultimately include five class A office buildings and retail.
1990Merritt begins its first office park, Columbia Corporate Park 
With the collapse of the real estate market in the early 90s, Merritt’s 25th anniversary coincides with lean times. “Survive ‘til ’95” becomes the rallying cry. Even the company’s Christmas party consists only of a deli tray and beer, served in a vacant warehouse. While certainly not extravagant, the party is a celebration of the comraderie forged from facing adversity, and it becomes one of Robb Merritt’s favorite memories.
1992Recession hits the commercial real estate industry 
Working with a facilitator, the Merritt team codifies its core values and tagline, “Creating Homes for Businesses.”
1998Merritt holds its first corporate retreat 
Leroy steps away from day-to-day operations, dubbing himself the CFO, Chief Fun Officer. Scott and Robb take over leadership.
2000A new role for Leroy 
Merritt realizes the increased competition of health clubs in Maryland and decides to start branching off into the family marketing. They start construction on their first family-oriented Club in Eldersburg. The 75,000 square foot facility features a day care, children’s dance studio and two indoor pools. The revitalization of some areas in Baltimore City also makes the Federal Hill area very desirable. Merritt opens another location on Fort Avenue in Locust Point that same year.
2000Eldersburg and Fort Avenue Clubs open 
Merritt becomes an official sponsor of the Baltimore Ravens.
2003A hometown company. A hometown team. 
Merritt moves the Fort Ave location from a shopping center to The Foundry, a building owned by Merritt Properties. The club membership has grown so much more space is needed.
2003Merritt's Fort Avenue Club moves to the Foundry 
The loss of Leroy’s legendary warmth and humor is tremendous, but his ethics and approach to business continue to steer the company forward.
2010Leroy Merritt passes away 
The White Marsh area is shown to be a popular family market with little competition for Clubs. Merritt Properties buys a parcel of land and Merritt Construction builds the White Marsh location. The 55,000 square foot facility features an outdoor pool, large kids center and indoor cardio movie theater.
2014White Marsh Club opens 
Merritt marks 50 years of service with a year of surprises and celebrations honoring our employees, partners and customers.
201750 years of service 
Merritt Properties and Almanac Realty Investors (formerly Rothschild Realty) renew their long-standing relationship, which originated as an eight-year partnership in 1997.
2018Merritt Properties secures $400 million capital investment from Almanac Realty Investors 
Merritt Properties expands into North Carolina with the acquisition of 51 acres in Durham for the development of a new light industrial business park, Merritt TW Crossing. This announcement marks the beginning of our regional growth, as we continue to acquire land for additional light industrial parks in Wake Forest, Knightdale, Chapel Hill, Cary, Raleigh, and Garner.
2020Merritt Expands to North Carolina 
With limited developable land available in Maryland, Merritt is able to acquire two parcels for major light industrial redevelopment projects. A former Quest Diagnostics headquarters office in Arbutus will become two single-story light industrial buildings totaling 111,300 SF while a former General Motors plant in White Marsh will be transformed into a nine-building light industrial park totaling 750,000 SF.
2021New Opportunities to Build in Maryland 
Merritt celebrates the grand opening of Merritt TW Crossing, its first development in North Carolina. Over the course of 18 months, Merritt constructed this 284,240-square-foot light industrial business park, which consists of four buildings and leased up quickly. This project also marks the establishment of Merritt's first regional office. Merritt TW Crossing garnered significant recognition, including being named the “Top Flex/Warehouse Development” by the Triangle Business Jour
2021Merritt TW Crossing Completion 
As Merritt Properties continues to seek new development markets, the company lands in Jacksonville, Florida, with the purchase of a 25-acre tract for the development of Imeson Landing Business Park and the acquisition of Magnolia Park, an existing three-building light industrial portfolio. At the time, Robb Merritt shared, “These acquisitions allow us to expand into a strong market while responding to demand for single-story, light industrial product.”
2021Merritt Expands to Florida 
Merritt secures its first property in the Richmond market with the purchase of Crescent Business Center, consisting of five existing shallow-bay light industrial buildings. The parcel includes additional 19 acres for new development where Merritt intends to construct four additional Class A light industrial buildings.
2022Merritt Enters Richmond Market 
Merritt celebrates the completion of Phase 1 construction at Imeson Landing Business Park in Jacksonville, opening its first three buildings at the park. The following month, we announced the acquisition of 16 more acres for the future development of 114,500 square feet of space. This expansion will bring the total development to over 380,000 square feet across eight buildings
2023Imeson Landing Business Park Phase I Delivers 
Merritt Properties forges a new financial partnership with Centerbridge Partners, marking an important milestone in the company’s continued growth. As part of this exciting new chapter, Bobby Lanigan joined Merritt's leadership team as president, while Robb Merritt assumed the role of CEO, and Scott Dorsey stepped into the position of executive chairman.
2026A New Partnership & A New President 
Leadership
Greater Prosperity for Our Customers
Greater Opportunities for Our Employees
True to Leroy Merritt’s vision, we focus equally on the efficient operation of our businesses and on our impact on the community—our commitment to doing what’s right, every day, for every customer.
Scott Dorsey
Executive Chairman
Focusing on strategic planning and long-term goals, Scott oversees relations with financial institutions, government agencies, economic development organizations and industry groups. He joined the company in 1972. Scott is Chairman of the Board for the Maryland Economic Development Corporation and Maryland Free (formerly Maryland Business for Responsive Government), and sits on the Board and Executive Committee for the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, the Young Life-Urban Baltimore Board of Directors, M&T Bank Greater Baltimore/Washington Director’s Advisory Council, the Baltimore County Economic Development Commission, Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, the Board of Trustees for Junior Achievement of Central Maryland and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Corporate Leadership Council. In addition, he has served on the Maryland Commission on Innovation & Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission) since its inception in September 2016. He is also a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and an MBA from Loyola University in Maryland.
Robb Merritt
CEO
Robb oversees daily operations and management of the company, having learned the development business from the ground up. He is former president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and is currently a member of the Legislative Committee. In addition, Robb sits on TCP Venture Capital’s Propel II and Propel III Funds Investment Committees and serves as a board member for the Living Classrooms Foundation and Signal 13 Foundation. A graduate of the University of Colorado, Robb received an MBA from Loyola University.
One Family. Three Companies. Five Decades of Service.
Creating Homes for Businesses
We believe in simply doing what’s right, every day for every customer. It’s a pretty uncommon notion in the commercial real estate industry, because it means going beyond what’s simply required. It means doing whatever is necessary to address your needs, put your mind at ease, and create a comfortable home for your business.
Building a Better Way
Merritt stands for respect, collaboration, and quality because that’s what our founder expected from his team. He saw these as essentials often promised but seldom delivered, so he developed a thoughtful, flexible approach to construction – an approach we follow to this day. Before we complete a project that’s worthy of your business, we believe we have to do a job that’s true to our name.
Fitness That Matters
We’re changing the way Baltimore thinks about fitness. Each facility is designed to meet the needs of the neighborhood it serves, continually evolving programs to bring people together through new experiences that support the overall well-being of our members. We’re not just supporting active lifestyles, we’re creating a happier, healthier community.