Philip Bell founded P.B. Bell in 1976 with his first multifamily acquisition and a dream to create communities across the Valley in order to make lives and places better. During his 40+ years as owner of P.B. Bell, he did that and so much more. His core principles and values, work ethic, and regard for people have always been at the forefront which inspired his son, Chapin Bell, who is just as passionate about the business and more importantly, the people as he is. In 2019, Chapin became the sole owner of P.B. Bell and has continued to grow the company and propel P.B. Bell forward as a leader within the multifamily industry.

P.B. Bell’s rich history in the Valley and positive reputation among industry professionals has been instrumental to the company’s success for more than four decades. The multifamily industry is ever-evolving, and P.B. Bell has sustained through it all — the highs and the lows. With Philip’s leadership, community involvement and mission, P.B. Bell persevered, exceeded expectations and was able to grow its portfolio as well as its team as a whole. 

After 42 years, Philip officially retired at the age of 82 and while his son, Chapin, had been acting as CEO for many years, the business was now completely in his hands. Chapin knew he would have quite the reputation to live up to, but thankfully he had the best leader and mentor who had been teaching him his entire life, so he was prepared and excited for what was to come. Chapin has been working within the business for a good portion of his life — assisting his father with key business decisions since he came on board full time in 1993 as a project manager. Even before officially joining the team, Chapin enjoyed the chance to share in every aspect of the company with his dad, from sweeping off apartment rooftops after monsoon storms as a kid, to dinnertime discussions about development. Chapin knew that taking over the company would bring an opportunity for growth and change, allowing P.B. Bell to advance and reach new heights. 

Building Upon the Company Culture 

Chapin has made it a priority to ask for and listen to employee feedback to build the next generation of P.B. Bell. He learned from his father early on that it’s not about the buildings, it’s about the people, and who better to ask for feedback and ideas than the people at P.B. Bell. He has been extremely receptive to recommendations from employees and ensures he takes their opinions to heart when making decisions that will impact the people and the future of the company.  

Years ago, Chapin established core values for the company: Get Creative, Act with Integrity, Be Accountable, Show You Care, and Enjoy the Ride. These values have defined the culture at P.B. Bell and are celebrated each day. In a larger effort to further promote the company’s core values and continue to foster a positive work environment, Chapin and the executive team established a culture designed to recognize employees for going above and beyond, foster collaboration, creativity and open and honest communication. Along with orchestrating fun team bonding experiences and employee-focused initiatives, the organization is dedicated to upholding the company values, keeping them at the very forefront of all they do. His commitment to culture at P.B. Bell and the magnitude of how much he cares for each of every employee has not gone unnoticed and has earned the company many recognitions, including being named one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in the Valley for three consecutive years, as well as being named one of Arizona’s Top Companies to Work For by the Arizona Republic and AZ Business Magazine’s 100 Best Places to Work.

Bringing the Innovation 

On top of building upon the company culture, Chapin’s vision included bringing technology and innovation to the forefront of P.B. Bell’s strategy. This meant being proactive when new technologies were introduced to the industry, determining whether or not they would be a good fit for the company and if they would create efficient solutions for everyday challenges at both the corporate and community levels. 

By thoroughly evaluating and vetting new products for overall effectiveness, P.B. Bell consistently implements technology that proves to be extremely beneficial to the business. New technologies that P.B. Bell has implemented in recent years include smart home technology, more than 700 virtual courses for employee education and growth, self-guided and virtual community tours, parcel lockers, resident surveys to better understand how prospective and current residents are feeling, and much more.

By integrating Chapin into the company at an early age, Philip was able to foster and grow his son’s love for the multifamily industry — later leading Chapin to take over the company to continue the legacy. Now, P.B. Bell has its most robust development pipeline and Chapin’s team continues to expand their reach within the Valley — further propelling P.B. Bell to the forefront of the industry as a leader in development and property management.