W.L. Bates

Chairman of the Board
(Retired)

W.L. Bates was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. During his lifetime, he has watched Corpus Christi grow into what it is today. It was F.M. Thomason who first sparked W.L.’s interest in real estate and he worked toward making that his career. In 1947, he ventured out on his own and opened his first office. He is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (S.I.O.R.), membership he has maintained since November of 1964. In 1983, he was honored as one of the top three figures in Texas real estate development and was chosen as a recipient of the statewide “Dealmaker Award”. In May of 2000, he was honored by the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors for his significant influence on Corpus Christi’s development. His clients have included companies such as National Steel Corporation, Aker Gulf Marine, Peter Kiewit Corporation, Baker Marine, and the Driscoll Foundation. Although he has retired, W.L. continues to be an intrinsic part of W.L. Bates Company, Inc. His knowledge and experience is constantly required by clients as well as other brokers in the area.

Richard A. Dupriest, Jr.

President

Rick is a 1983 graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He has been a licensed Real Estate Broker with W.L. Bates Company, Inc. since 1985. He was admitted to the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (S.I.O.R.) in 1991and successfully completed Leadership Corpus Christi in 1993. Specializing in heavy industrial and waterfront industrial properties, Rick’s clients include Equistar Chemicals, PPG, Fina, DeDietrich, Peter Kiewit Company, and the Port of Corpus Christi. He has been working closely with Flint Hills Resources L.P. since 1987 as their agent for the acquisition of buffer zone property in the Corpus Christi Industrial Area. In 2005, Rick became President of W.L. Bates Company, Inc..

Maria F. Conley

Senior
Vice-President

Maria has been the Senior Vice-President for the Company since 1996. In December of 2005, she obtained her license as a Realtor and has been actively working in the marketing of industrial and commercial sectors of Corpus Christi and its surrounding areas. She is also directly involved with the management of residential homes and industrial leases for Flint Hills Resources. Responsible for the management of the Company’s Property Database, she is also accountable for the preparation of brochures and informational sheets on the various property listings maintained at W.L. Bates Company, as well as the creation and management of the company’s website. She is originally from La Paz, Bolivia and a graduate of the University of San Simon.