Matt Simon Named Senior General Manager of Avalon

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Matt Simon, the retail operator who is credited with bolstering the profile of The Grove in Los Angeles, has been named vice president and senior general manager of Avalon.

The Alpharetta-based mixed use development, which opened in October, is owned and operated by North American Properties.

The Grove and other properties developed by Rick Caruso served as one of the inspirations for Avalon. Caruso’s company, Los Angeles-based Caruso Affiliated, is known for creating experiences and places where people want to be.

Mark Toro, managing partner of NAP and the visionary behind Avalon, wanted to bring that same experience for consumers in the southeast.

Avalon is a sustainably designed, 86-acre development with retail, a premium theater, a planned full-service hotel and conference center, class A office, single-family residences and luxury rental homes. The biggest differentiator is the resort-level hospitality infused into the property every day.

“We were inspired by Caruso, as we made a paradigm shift at NAP from being a real estate company to being a hospitality company,” said Toro. “In today’s digital age, people don’t need to go shopping. They can buy anything on a mobile device. They go to Avalon because they have a great experience there. We are thrilled to have Matt on our team because he understands that, and he is committed to making sure every guest feels special while they are at Avalon.”

Simon worked for Caruso for 13 years, including the last seven as senior general manager of The Grove. Though the property was not new when he took over, its status and success grew significantly during Simon’s tenure.

“We stopped trying to keep The Grove a secret, we embraced the media, we brought in new tenants, we upgraded the property,” Simon said.

Prior to joining Caruso, Simon worked for Club Med for nearly four years. Simon is a Boston native and a graduate of Ithaca College. He and his wife recently moved to Alpharetta, residing on property at Avalon.

“When you have something as special as Avalon, it can completely change the way life is lived in a community,” Simon said. “When I got the opportunity to be a part of that, I jumped. My wife and I are thrilled to be living in Alpharetta and beginning this new chapter of our lives.”

Photo credit: North American Properties