Our History

The Pence Group (formerly known as Pence-Friedel Developers, Inc) was founded by Ambassador Robert Frank Pence (the former United States Ambassador to the Republic of Finland). The company is best known for developing and managing world-class shopping centers and hotels as well as office buildings throughout the United States. Since the company was founded in 1977, we have been responsible for over 6 million square feet of commercial development. The portfolio includes The Reston Home Depot Center, Stafford Marketplace in Stafford, and the Dulles Expo & Conference Center in Chantilly.

For over 40 years, the company and its affiliates have consistently been honored for the quality and vision of our projects. We have an unblemished record insofar as completing projects once we have signed the first deal with a tenant/occupant. That track record, combined with the fact that we have never returned a project to a lender, defaulted on a loan, or “chaptered” any of our projects, means that all of our partners can be sure that, when we sign a deal, the project is going to be built.