Marlene Sundquist Behlman has over 20 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience in the commercial and retail markets. Marlene specializes in business brokerage in the retail, commercial and industrial and holds the prestigious CCIM designation for commercial real estate.

As a successful entrepreneur, Marlene built and sold three businesses in diverse market spaces. In 1999, Florida Graphics, Inc., was founded by Marlene as an Advertising & Design firm that found niches in financial markets, insurance products, and sport fishing markets. At its peak, Florida Graphics produced layouts for over 45 sporting magazines and contracted print advertising for major boating industry names including Donzi, Yellowfin, and Mercury Motors.

In 2001, Marlene co-founded Debt Management Center (DMC), which acted as a debt negotiation service for individuals. DMC saw rapid growth to over 20,000 clients and 120 employees in a short period of time and was ranked in the top 10 in the United Stated in 2004. In the daily operations of DMC, Marlene was responsible for corporate finance, advertising & marketing, management of regulatory compliance, and was the lead negotiator for consumer debt with major financial institutions.

Upon the sale of DMC, Marlene founded Seedlings Retail in 2006. Seedlings Retail was founded as a single unit retail concept specializing in contemporary, sustainable products for the baby and young child markets. Marlene managed all facets of this business and developed a strong brand identity. The unique concept and strong branding developed by Marlene allowed for the successful exit of the business in 2015 at a large premium above current retail valuations.

Marlene enjoys philanthropy and is a very active member of The Junior League of Tampa. She has served on numerous committees through nearly ten years of involvement. She also served as the Advertising & Design Consultant for the Tampa Museum of Art’s annual City Fashion Show Event for a number of years and continuously lends her skills to many other philanthropic events, political campaigns, and other community events.

Marlene is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism (Advertising & Marketing) and a minor in French. She served as a graduate assistant for UF Advertising Research and continues to consult with the UF College of Journalism, mentoring current students on career guidance and selection in commercial and industrial markets.

Experienced in but not limited to the following services and sectors. Contact for a full list.

• Board Member- Treasurer of Business Brokers of Florida Tampa Bay District CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) West Coast Chapter Board Member CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Member AREAA (Asian Real Estate Association of America Organization) Board Member