About · Est. January 2017

A seasoned team that sweats the whole deal.

Southbound Development Group develops and invests in retail and restaurant-oriented buildings, single and multi-tenant, in prime locations throughout the Southeast. Our team manages every part of the development process, from site selection to leasing. We weigh each project on its financial viability for everyone involved, and we give our clients cost certainty and completed projects within specified timelines.

From the Atlanta office on Old Ivy Road, Southbound has completed 30+ projects totaling $100M+ in value across 7 states: Quick-service and sit-down restaurants, urgent care and dental, coffee, auto service, retail, storage and multi-tenant strips, most built-to-suit for national and franchise tenants.

The team

You'll have their direct lines.

Site selection, budgets, leases and construction sit with three people, and you deal directly with them.

Portrait of Mike Birnbrey
Founder & CEO

Mike Birnbrey

Mike founded Southbound Development Group in January 2017. As CEO he oversees day-to-day operations and leads the build-to-suit and multi-tenant program, drawing on his relationships with national and franchise tenants while building new ones.

Mike is primarily responsible for lease negotiations and for the pre-construction and construction phases of Southbound's projects.

Before starting Southbound, Mike spent three years as a development associate at Salomon Real Estate Group in Atlanta, focused on site selection and acquisitions. Before Salomon, he led the new build-to-suit division at Halpern Enterprises, a large private investment and development company. He started his career as a market research analyst and site selection associate at Insite Real Estate in Chicago.

Mike's hobbies include golf, traveling and rooting for Georgia sports. He lives in Brookhaven with his wife, Jen, their twin boys, Cody and Mason, their youngest son, Austin, and their dog, Murphy.

Insite Real EstateHalpern EnterprisesSalomon Real Estate GroupSouthbound, 2017
Portrait of Collin Denhard
Development Partner

Collin Denhard

Collin, an Atlanta native, qualifies sites for single- and multi-tenant developments and advises clients on trade areas, market trends and economics. He is hands-on in negotiating lease and purchase agreements for existing and new developments.

Collin graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in Public Relations and Leadership. He began his career as a commercial real estate advisor with a local firm, working on projects from leasing to investment sales across several product types, and later spent time in residential real estate helping buyers and sellers.

In 2018 he joined S.J. Collins Enterprises, a developer of mixed-use and grocery-anchored centers across the Southeast, where he handled shop-space leasing across a large portfolio and cultivated broker and tenant relationships through the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Florida.

Collin's hobbies include golf, fishing, cooking on the Big Green Egg, traveling and time with family. He lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Casey, their two girls, Lincoln and London, and their dog, Riley.

Kennesaw State UniversityCommercial & residential brokerageS.J. Collins Enterprises, 2018Southbound, 2020
Portrait of Adam Birnbrey
Development Partner

Adam Birnbrey

Adam joined Southbound Development Group in October 2026. His primary focuses are site selection, acquisitions and financial underwriting. Leveraging his investment sales background and extensive industry relationships, he helps identify strategic development opportunities, evaluate site feasibility and align real estate opportunities with tenant and investment objectives.

Adam brings nearly a decade of commercial real estate experience to Southbound Development Group, having previously served as Managing Director of Investment Sales at The Shopping Center Group (TSCG). A graduate of the University of Georgia, Adam spent his career specializing in retail investment sales, advising clients on acquisitions and dispositions while developing a deep understanding of retail real estate markets, property valuation, and investment fundamentals. His experience in transaction structuring, financial analysis, and market intelligence supports Southbound’s approach to sourcing and executing retail development opportunities.

Adam lives in Sarasota, Florida, with his wife, Jordan, and their two children, Grey and Parker. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, traveling, spending time with his family, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.

University of GeorgiaTSCG, 2017Southbound, 2026
How a project runs

Site to sign-off, in-house.

  1. 01

    Site selection

    Qualifying sites, trade areas, market trends and economics.

  2. 02

    Project budgeting

    Cost certainty, set before ground breaks.

  3. 03

    Due diligence

    Every site vetted before we commit.

  4. 04

    Engineering

    Site and civil work, coordinated in-house.

  5. 05

    Architecture

    From the tenant's prototype to a permitted plan.

  6. 06

    Construction

    Pre-construction through opening day.

  7. 07

    Leasing

    Lease and purchase agreements, negotiated directly.

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