Tesla Motors Hires Former Apple Real Estate Executive

Electric car development company Tesla Motors today announced that it has hired George Blankenship, former Vice President of Real Estate for Apple, to head up the company's retail effort as it looks to begin offering its cars for sale with initial retail stores in Tokyo, Toronto, and Washington, DC.

As Apple's Vice President of Real Estate, he created one of the most successful retail growth strategies in history. Apple has repeatedly been recognized by Fortune Magazine as America's Best Retailer. Blankenship brings that experience to Tesla. Through his work creating Apple stores around the world, Blankenship defined and executed an International "Smart Growth Hit List" that encompassed major cities in Asia, Europe and North America.

Blankenship received some attention in the Apple press last year after he signed on as a consultant to Microsoft to assist that company with rolling out its own retail store initiative designed to go head-to-head with Apple. The first Microsoft retail store opened in Scottsdale, Arizona last October.