Thomas M. Montante
President
Thomas M. Montante was born in 1943 in Buffalo, New York. He graduated from Canisius High School in 1961 and from Canisius College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1965. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 1968 from the University at Buffalo Law School and passed the New York State Bar exam that same year. Thomas is married to Margaret Mary Buckley and has four sons and 9 grandchildren.
Thomas founded the Makeda Corporation in 2003. Makeda is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. Its current project is the People’s Park located in Buffalo, New York. The idea for People’s Park originated from the West 89th Street Community Garden in New York City. In Buffalo, People’s Park was conceived as a bridge between two neighborhoods – east of Main Street and west of Main Street. The Park is maintained by community groups. It hosts public gardens, private planting boxes, and an amphitheater for small concerts. It is utilized by neighborhood schools for arts and science classes and features weekly children’s reading sessions with Project Literacy volunteers.
Thomas is a Board member of Reid Petroleum Corporation. He is a former Board member for Artpark & Company and Old Fort Niagara. He is a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and was Empire State Chapter Chairman in 1989 and also served as an International Forum Officer. He currently is a forum group member in YPO/WPO.
Thomas is an avid golfer and also enjoys playing tennis and skiing.
He especially enjoys spending time with his children and their families.
TM Montante Development LLC
The evolution of a family business with 75 years of history
In 1935, Thomas Montante’s Grandfather, Carmelo Montante, along with his sons, opened the
first Broad Elm Auto Center in downtown Buffalo. It was a tire sales and full service
automotive repair facility.
In 1968, Thomas co-founded Unibrand Tire, a $36 million wholesale tire business that grew to 5
locations in 3 states.
In 1974, Thomas co-founded Uniland Development Company.
In 1974, Michael Montante (son of Carmelo Montante) retired, leaving his son, Thomas, as President of the 5 store auto centers.
In 1993, Now totaling 15 locations, the Auto Centers were sold; the real estate portfolio was
placed under Broad Elm Management, Inc.
In 1997, Thomas sold his shares of Uniland Development and retained Broad Elm
Management, Inc.
In 2008, TM Montante Development officially became the new name for Broad Elm
Management and its affiliates.
In 2009, TM Montante Development announces the opening of it’s Solar Division.
Today, TM Montante Development is a full service commercial developer of real estate and solar energy projects. TM Montante Development provides its clients with a range of real estate and solar services including architectural design, construction, panel installation, property management, market entry solutions, financing and consulting. Our team oversees each step in the development process from the initial planning and pricing to the final days of the project. Our extensive experience has given us the opportunity to work successfully with many State and local officials, contractors and professionals in Western New York. We maintain those relationships so that we may consistently deliver completed projects of a high quality on a timely basis and most importantly, within the allocated budget. We pride ourselves on total client satisfaction and maintaining long-term relationships with our clients.