Decron Properties traces its roots back to the years just after World War II. In 1947, Jack M. Nagel, founder and Chairman of Decron Properties, arrived in the United States as a survivor of the Holocaust without parents and almost no surviving family. However, he possessed an insatiable drive for education and a desire to succeed in business, attending classes at New York University while gaining business experience in import and export trade.

In 1955, shortly after his marriage to Gitta Nagel, Jack moved to Los Angeles, where he founded what would eventually become the precursor to Decron Properties. In the right place at the right time, Jack began his real estate career as the head of Nagel Construction, a developer of single-family housing.

More than 50 years later, Decron Properties now holds more than $1.5 billion in assets, spread out over 55 different communities and projects. The company has built more than 2,000 residential homes. Decron Properties’ portfolio now includes shopping centers, marinas, office buildings, and multifamily apartment buildings. In all, Decron Properties manages 4,300 apartment units and maintains more than 3.2 million square feet of commercial properties. Though based in Southern California, Decron Properties seeks to develop real estate opportunities in other major metropolitan areas as well.

In 1988, Jack’s son, David Nagel, became President and CEO of Decron Properties. At the time, the portfolio included 10 buildings and $100 million in valuation. During David Nagel’s time leading the day-to-day operations, the company added more than 40 properties and increased the size of its portfolio to its current $1.5 billion.