Our History
Dorfman Capital was founded in 1990. Bob Dorfman, president of Dorfman Capital, has a distinguished track record in structuring and closing innovative financing transactions. As both an agent and principal, Bob has completed approximately $1 billion in financing for corporations and real estate developers.
He has committed himself to transforming communities to become economically and environmentally healthy by recycling real estate through brownfields development, affordable housing and historic reuse.
Prior to forming Dorfman Capital, Bob worked as managing director of investment banking at Advest, Inc., a regional investment banking and brokerage firm; president of Dorfman Securities, Inc., an NASD broker dealer member; and managing partner of venture capital firm Crescent Capital Company, LLC.
A native of Worcester, MA, he earned his BA at Tufts University and an MBA at Boston University. After working in Boston for many years, Bob now serves his clients from Centerville, MA, on Cape Cod. Bob participates in leading edge executive training programs at MIT and Harvard University.
The Seed Level- The Warren Oil Story
In 1932 Bob's grandfather, Leon Goldberg, founded the Warren Oil Company, a retail fuel distribution company. Located at 459 Southbridge Street in Worcester, MA, this real estate would become Bob’s first brownfields remediation project.
In 1950 Leon’s son-in-law and Bob’s father, Sidney Dorfman, joined the company and would later establish the Home Oil Company, the first discount fuel oil company servicing Worcester County. “Sid The Oil Man” became the company’s trademark.
As a boy in the 1960’s Bob worked Christmas Eves delivering oil with Sid when company drivers were not available. In those days Bob learned how to collect and count money. Bob developed into the company’s star salesman during his college years before entering into the world of finance.
Over a 10 year period from the mid 1980’s to the mid 1990’s environmental standards and regulations became strict and 459 Southbridge Street was subject to the new Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations. A major cleanup was required and implemented. By then Bob was established in his career in finance and, along with Sidney, managed the cleanup project.
459 Southbridge Street was Bob’s first brownfields remediation project. While neither Sidney nor Bob could have predicted it at that time, this experience was the foundation for Dorfman Capital’s expertise and interest in the brownfields tax credit finance business.
Today Dorfman Capital is the premier financier of MA brownfields remediation projects (MA BTC's), and provides Federal and State Tax Credits for Historic reuse (HTC), Low Income Housing (LIHTC), Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), Film, Energy (ITC), New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) and many more.
