Gillis Thomas Founder Gillis Thomas is the owner and founder of the Gillis Thomas Company. Prior to starting his own firm in August, 1975, Gillis Thomas was Trammell Crow’s first operating partner.

Gillis first worked with Trammell in 1949 when Crow’s main business was the Doggett Grain Company. Subsequently, Trammell Crow entered the real estate business, at first just building warehouses. When offered to become a partner in new warehouse projects, in lieu of receiving raises, Gillis quickly accepted. For the next twenty-six years Gillis headed Crow’s industrial division, building millions of square feet of office/warehouse space, not only in Dallas, Texas, but also throughout the Midwestern, Southwestern and Southeastern states. A number of the Crow Company’s leading partners were hired and trained by Gillis Thomas. Gillis, along with other early industrial developers, pushed Dallas center stage as a national center of distribution and warehousing in the United States.

Continuing the legacy that Gillis started, today the Company has offices in both Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colorado. Gillis’ desire is for future generations to nurture, preserve and to expand the real estate base that he has devoted so many years of effort and energy to create.

Outside his real estate business, Gillis has been a very active volunteer in the Dallas community. Gillis currently serves or has served on the board of the Austin Street Homeless Shelter, the Genesis Women’s Shelter, and the First Presbyterian Church Foundation. He is also a long time supporter of the Stewpot Ministry, an elder and a former Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian Church.

Gillis is married, lives in Highland Park, Texas, the father of two, grandfather of seven and step-grandfather of three. He is a 1949 graduate of Southern Methodist University and an avid sports fan.