The Tarpon Blue Family of Companies

From real estate to land and resource management, to insurance, and to eco-tours, we’ve got you covered.

Real Estate
Services

A firm specializing in the buying and selling of agricultural, commercial, residential, and recreational/hunting property.

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Land & Resource
Management

Tarpon Blue Land & Resource Management provides personalized service to help you manage your land and resources effectively.

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Insurance
Advisors

Tarpon Blue Insurance Advisors provide individual, specialized guidance for your insurance investments.

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Collier
Enterprises

Collier Enterprises has an expansive portfolio of diverse businesses that span various industries, including real estate, agricultural, and energy.

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Babcock Ranch
Eco-Tours

A unique family experience of 4 Florida ecosystems. Swamp buggy tours, walking trails, museum, souvenirs and Gator Shack Diner.

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Babcock Ranch Preserve Featured on Shark Brothers

Babcock Ranch Eco-Tours takes visitors on a journey through fascinating history and surrounding ecosystems. As part of the largest land conservation purchase in Florida’s history, the Preserve is also the largest state-owned working cattle ranch where modern-day cowboys carry on with the kind of work that’s been done for hundreds of years.

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Our Team

Brett DuBois

Partner

Brett DuBois - Partner

Brett DuBois is the Co-Broker of TarponBlue Real Estate Services, LLC. Brett has 20 years of experience as a land broker and has sold nearly 120,000-acres of agricultural properties throughout the State of Florida worth approximately $750,000,000.

DuBois began his career in 1980 as a vegetable farmer. He quickly moved through the ranks and became Vice President of DuBois Growers, Inc. where he spent nearly 25 years. Brett currently is a Vice President of TarponBlue Resource & Land Management, Inc. which leases Babcock Ranch Preserve. This is a 70,000-acre property with cattle, farming, sod and timber operations. Brett also manages numerous farms and ranches for investors across Florida.

Arnie Sarlo

Partner

Arnie Sarlo - Partner

Arnie Sarlo brings 20+ year of experience in cattle and the agricultural industry to the team. During his career, he has held various positions on some of Florida’s largest ranches, including Alico, Babcock, Blue Head, by starting out as a cowboy and working his way up to President.

Arnie has been heavily involved in the field of agricultural real estate, including ranches, groves, farms, and easements. He was an integral part of the 90,000-acre Babcock Ranch sale and once again on the 66,000-acre purchase of Blue Head Ranch.

In addition to top level management of cattle, sod, timber, mining, hunting leases, citrus, and specialty crops, he possesses the specialized skill set of procuring land easements, managing water storage, and working with various government agencies.

In 2013, he started his own cattle and land management company, S&C Cattle and Land Services, along with Dick Cuda, former owner and CEO of Babcock Ranch. Dick and Arnie currently own over 15,000 acres of grazing land and manage over 20,000 acres in Charlotte, Lee, and Highlands County.

In November of 2016, Arnie and Tarpon Blue partners Brett DuBois and Ken Smith were awarded the management contract for the 70,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve, the state’s largest cattle lease.

Arnie earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Florida and a Masters in Business Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Arnie serves on the Executive Board for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and is also a State Director.

Ken Smith

Partner

Ken Smith - Partner

Ken Smith is the President and CEO of Tarpon Blue Resource & Land Management, Inc., Tarpon Blue Real Estate Services, LLC and Babcock Ranch Eco Tours, LLC, along with being the owner and manager of Integrated Beef Consultants, LLC.

He previously served as the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for Alico, Inc. (NASDAQ ALCO) where he was involved in Merger and Acquisitions of approximately $500,000,000 in land and business transactions for the company. Prior to joining Alico he was the Vice-President for Agricultural Operations at Atlantic Blue Group where he led the sale of the largest Wetland Reserve Program conservation easement in the history of this USDA program and the historic Blue Head Ranch.

Dr. Smith also served as a Trustee for the Florida Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and as Vice-Chairman for The Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees. He previously served as a Commissioner on the Commission for Health Care and Hospital Funding for the State of Florida.

Dr Smith received his B.S. in Animal Science and a M.S. in Agriculture from West Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. from Texas Tech in Agriculture.

Robert J. Underbrink

Partner

Robert J. Underbrink - Partner

Robert J. Underbrink was President/CEO of King Ranch, Inc. headquartered in Houston, Texas, from June 2010 until he retired in 2021. He graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 1983 where he received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Cum Laude). Shortly thereafter Robert was hired by King Ranch, Inc. as a management trainee and he traveled to various operations in the United States and throughout South America and Australia. In 1987, he assumed the responsibility as General Manager of Florida operations. As part of an expansion of the Florida operations, King Ranch, Inc. acquired citrus groves in 1994. The Board of Directors of King Ranch, Inc. appointed him as Vice President of Farming Operations in June 1998. He was later appointed as Senior Vice President in March 2008 and in June 2010, was appointed as President/CEO, as well as a Director. He also served as a Director of Consolidated Citrus Limited Partnership, where he had previously served as President and CEO from 1999 to 2005. Consolidated Citrus Limited Partnership is owned and managed by King Ranch, Inc. His business and civic affiliations include: Chairman of the Board since August 2020 and Director since 1994 of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida; Life Trustee since 2010 for South Florida Fair; Director since 2015 and Member since 2007 of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; Director since October 2012 of American Sugar Refining, Inc.; Member of the Board of Trustees of Baylor College of Medicine since June 2013 and Chair of the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee since July 2019; Advisory Board Member of Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc. since November 2015; Board Member from November 2017 to January 2020 of Tellus Products, LLC; Member from 2012 to 2017 of the USDA/USTR Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC); Past Chairman of Florida Land Council; Former Director of Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association; and Past Member of American Society of Sugar Cane Technologist. Current Chairman of Palmetto Trust Company.

Christian Spilker

Partner

Christian Spilker - Partner

A former partner in an engineering and environmental consulting firm, Christian was asked to join Collier Enterprises to help guide the entitlement processes for a number of sensitive real estate assets. He has spent the last fifteen years managing several of the companies in the Collier Enterprises portfolio including the agribusiness, oil and gas, and governmental affairs divisions where he has been directly involved in more than $1.5 billion in real estate transactions. He most recently led the team that expanded Collier Enterprises’ institutional real estate presence across the United States, with particular focus on the multi-family sector, including partnerships with Wood Investments; Crescent Communities; and Milhaus, and a major partnership with Legacy Partners. Christian and his team specialize in identifying raw projects with significant upside, and then helping to achieve that value with a well-implemented entitlement approach. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Christian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology as well as a Master of Science degree in environmental science from the University of Houston.

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Christian Spilker - Partner

A former partner in an engineering and environmental consulting firm, Christian was asked to join Collier Enterprises to help guide the entitlement processes for a number of sensitive real estate assets. He has spent the last fifteen years managing several of the companies in the Collier Enterprises portfolio including the agribusiness, oil and gas, and governmental affairs divisions where he has been directly involved in more than $1.5 billion in real estate transactions. He most recently led the team that expanded Collier Enterprises’ institutional real estate presence across the United States, with particular focus on the multi-family sector, including partnerships with Wood Investments; Crescent Communities; and Milhaus, and a major partnership with Legacy Partners. Christian and his team at Collier Enterprises specialize in identifying raw projects with significant upside, and then helping to achieve that value with a well-implemented entitlement approach. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Christian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology as well as a Master of Science degree in environmental science from the University of Houston.