RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HIW) today announced that Ted Klinck, 52, who has served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since September 2015, has been promoted to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer. Ed Fritsch, 59, will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer.

Upon Mr. Fritsch’s recommendation as part of the Company’s succession planning activities, the Company’s Board of Directors has elected Mr. Klinck to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer. Before becoming Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Klinck served as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Before joining Highwoods in March 2012, Mr. Klinck served as principal and chief investment officer with Goddard Investment Group, a privately owned real estate investment firm. Prior to that, Mr. Klinck had been a managing director at Morgan Stanley Real Estate.

Mr. Fritsch stated, “Ted and I have obviously worked closely together since he joined Highwoods in 2012. His vision, tenacity and execution prowess have been instrumental to our successful track record. As part of his position as President, Ted will assume a broader role with regard to corporate and strategic issues and strengthening relationships with key business partners.”

Mr. Klinck stated, “I am humbled by the confidence demonstrated by Ed and the Board in giving me this expanded leadership role. The four tenets of our Strategic Plan – owning well-differentiated office assets in the BBDs of our markets, maintaining a fortress balance sheet, attracting and retaining a team of professionals second to none and communicating transparently with our shareholders and other business partners – will always guide everything we do. I’m excited to continue partnering with Ed as we continue to deliver meaningful returns for our shareholders.”

About Highwoods
Highwoods Properties, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, is a publicly-traded (NYSE:HIW) real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and a member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The Company is a fully-integrated office REIT that owns, develops, acquires, leases and manages properties primarily in the best business districts (BBDs) of Atlanta, Greensboro, Memphis, Nashville, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond and Tampa. For more information about Highwoods, please visit our website at www.highwoods.com.