Whitestone REIT is out to make a name for itself in real estate. The self-managed REIT (real estate investment trust) owns and operates 35 retail, office, and warehouse properties in (mostly) Texas, Illinois, and Arizona totaling more than 3 million square feet. The company focuses on what it calls Community Centered Properties, high visibility properties in established or developing culturally diverse neighborhoods. It recruits retail, grocery, financial services, and other tenants to create Whitestone branded commercial centers. Major customers include the US Census Bureau, grocer Kroger, and sporting goods retailer Sports Authority. Whitestone was formed in 1998 and filed to public in 2009.