Partner & Principal

Ian
Ruzow

Oak Tree Development Group  ·  Lancaster, Pennsylvania

IR

Entrepreneur, developer, and civic leader whose career has shaped Lancaster County's business, real estate, and cultural landscape for more than three decades.

Biography

A Career Built in Lancaster

Ian Ruzow is a Partner at Oak Tree Development Group, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania–based real estate development firm he has been affiliated with since 2005. With a career spanning entrepreneurship, real estate development, sports ownership, and civic leadership, Ruzow has become one of the most recognized figures in Lancaster County's business community.

A graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, Ruzow has remained deeply connected to his alma mater and the broader Lancaster community throughout his professional life. His ventures have spanned the creation and sale of nationally distributed media businesses, the development and stewardship of a significant commercial real estate portfolio, and the ownership and eventual sale of a professional baseball franchise.

Beyond his commercial endeavors, Ruzow has given back extensively through board service at some of Lancaster's most prominent cultural and civic institutions, and through his personal and family life, which is firmly rooted in the community he has helped to build.

"Building things that last — businesses, buildings, institutions — requires deep roots in a community. Lancaster has always been that community for me."

Education & Athletics

Franklin & Marshall College

Ian Ruzow attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he earned his undergraduate degree. At F&M, Ruzow was a standout squash player whose competitive excellence would earn lasting recognition from the college.

In 2005, Franklin & Marshall College inducted Ian Ruzow into its Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements as a squash competitor — an honor that reflects both his athletic ability and the lasting impression he made on the college's sporting culture.

F&M
Undergraduate Degree
Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
2005
Athletics Hall of Fame
Inducted by Franklin & Marshall College for excellence in squash

Career

Professional History

  • Early
    Co-Founder, Clipper Magazine Ian Ruzow co-founded Clipper Magazine, a direct-mail advertising publication that grew into one of the most widely distributed coupon and local advertising magazines in the United States. Under his leadership, Clipper expanded its reach significantly across regional and national markets.
  • 2003
    Sale of Clipper Magazine Ruzow successfully completed the sale of Clipper Magazine, marking the culmination of a significant entrepreneurial chapter and establishing him as one of Lancaster County's most successful business founders.
  • 2005
    Partner, Oak Tree Development Group Ruzow joined Oak Tree Development Group as a Partner, focusing on commercial real estate development, investment, and asset management across Lancaster County and the surrounding region. He has held this role continuously since 2005, overseeing a diverse portfolio spanning office, multifamily, industrial, retail, and hospitality assets.
  • 2013
    Partner, Lancaster Baseball (Lancaster Stormers) Ruzow became a Partner of the Lancaster Stormers, a professional independent baseball team competing in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Under his ownership partnership, the Stormers continued their role as a beloved civic and sporting institution in Lancaster County.
  • 2025
    Sale of Lancaster Baseball to Prospector Baseball On October 30, 2025, Ruzow completed the sale of the Lancaster Stormers to Prospector Baseball, concluding a more than decade-long ownership tenure. The transaction was completed with full commitment to the long-term future of professional baseball in Lancaster.

Civic Leadership

Community & Board Service

Ian Ruzow has been a committed civic leader in Lancaster County throughout his career, lending his expertise and time to some of the region's most important nonprofit and cultural institutions. His board service reflects a broad commitment to the arts, economic development, and community vitality.

Ruzow has served on the Board of Directors of the Fulton Theatre, one of the oldest and most distinguished performing arts venues in Pennsylvania, as well as the Lancaster Downtown Investment District (DID), which works to strengthen Lancaster City's urban core and support local businesses and public spaces.

His board involvement across multiple nonprofit organizations reflects a belief that successful business leaders have a responsibility to invest in the communities that have supported their success — a philosophy that has guided his personal and professional life in Lancaster for decades.

Personal

Family & Personal Life

Ian Ruzow has been married to Gail Michaele Ruzow since 2013. Together, the Ruzows are a family of five children, reflecting the personal values of family and community that have shaped Ian's approach to both life and business.

The Ruzow family is firmly rooted in the Lancaster community, where Ian's professional and civic contributions continue to intersect with a full and committed personal life.