Dan Parman had always been interested in city planning, and was a shopping center developer and farm/ranch investor before he and his family moved to San Antonio in 1975. Noticing the major growth in the north central region of the city, he couldn't believe the land north of Loop 1604 and its resources had remained untapped. Ever the astute businessman, Parman decided to jump on a unique opportunity.

Parman didn't want to just build a few homes, a shopping mall, and be done. He decided to scour the country and learn what communities like The Woodlands near Houston and Las Colinas outside of Dallas did right, and examined what improvements could be made.

Next, he had to find developable land. North of San Antonio, he found four ranches in the Hill Country that collectively made a dynamite package. The purchase was the largest and most complicated real estate deal in Bexar County history, involving four joint ventures comprised of over 80 partners.

To facilitate the sale, Parman Associates was formed (later named Stone Oak Inc.) and was comprised of Boyd Bradfield, a real estate developer, Paul Markey, Bernard Lifschultz, and Dan Parman. "I know people say I am the grandfather of Stone Oak, but in all honesty, without those men, there would be no Stone Oak today," says Parman.

Stone Oak is one of the largest privately financed planned cities in the United States. Some of the most brilliant minds in the industry were brought together to develop the plan. "Before a brick was ever laid, we knew exactly what each parcel of land would be used for,." recalls Parman.

From the very beginning, Parman and his partners knew they did not want one sole developer creating the community. He and his partners were the facilitators: they would provide roads, water, and sewer services and sell off land to developers and builders who would have to follow The Master Plan. Opening the construction phase to many developers was an excellent idea. "We all put our stamp on things," says Parman. "We didn't want Stone Oak to be filled with homes, offices, and schools all resembling each other."

Parman reflects on his handiwork with pride and quiet joy: "Four of us came together to make a dream come true. Each one of us had our own strengths and brought those to the project. Today, I can see the fruition of that dream."