In 1988, Fred Klein and Don Childress founded Childress Klein on a clear set of principles: stay close to the market, treat every client relationship as a long-term partnership, and let the quality of the work speak for itself. Nearly four decades later, those principles still define CK. The firm is known for quality, service and integrity, and for a hands-on, low-profile approach that has made it one of Charlotte’s largest and most respected private real estate firms.

A New Jersey native, Fred served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and earned an engineering degree, summa cum laude, from Lehigh University and an MBA with distinction from Wharton. He moved to Charlotte in 1978 with Trammell Crow Company, then one of the largest developers in the country, and rose to Partner and Regional Partner. When he and Don left to start CK, nearly all of their Trammell Crow colleagues in Charlotte came with them.

Under Fred’s leadership, CK grew from a couple of one-story buildings into one of the region’s most active developers. He saw the firm through its breakthrough project, Charlotte Plaza, a 27-story tower downtown, and went on to help shape the Charlotte skyline with One Wells Fargo Center, Duke Energy Center and, most recently, Duke Energy’s 40-story headquarters. Beyond uptown, Fred has guided CK’s work on office and warehouse campuses for Belk, TIAA and Daimler Trucks North America, retail destinations such as The Arboretum, and Museum Tower, a 43-story residential tower above the Mint Museum Uptown.

Today, CK’s team of more than 125 professionals oversees a portfolio of more than 450 properties and has developed more than 57 million square feet. As Founding Partner, Fred oversees the firm’s investor relationships and long-term strategy, offering guidance drawn from more than 50 years in commercial real estate.

Fred is also one of UNC Charlotte’s strongest supporters. He helped found the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate and, with Don Childress, has given more than $2.5 million to the university, funding a distinguished professorship, faculty fellowships, research grants and training for M.S. in Real Estate students. He has served on the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and the boards of the UNC Charlotte Foundation, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and the North Carolina Railroad Company. His honors include the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2022 Heavy Hitters Pillar Award and UNC Charlotte’s 2024 Distinguished Service Award.