# John Bradford

> John R. Bradford III is the Charlotte-area founder and CEO of PetScreening, a rental-housing software company born from the problems he encountered as a property manager. An engineer by training, former IBM sales executive, founder of Park Avenue Properties and four-term North Carolina state representative, Bradford built a business around evaluating pets and owners individually, processing assistance-animal accommodation requests and replacing scattered paperwork with digital profiles. PetScreening launched in 2017, reached more than 7 million rental units by March 2025 and raised an $80 million Series B led by Volition Capital and Guidepost Growth Equity.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at PetScreening
- **Organizations:** PetScreening, Park Avenue Properties, North Carolina House of Representatives, IBM, ExxonMobil
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Clemson University, Executive MBA, University of Memphis
- **Known for:** Founded PetScreening in 2017 and expanded it to more than 7 million rental units by March 2025., Raised an $80 million Series B for PetScreening in 2025., Built Park Avenue Properties and sold it to PURE Property Management in 2020.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Clemson University.
- **2000** — Earned an Executive MBA from the University of Memphis.
- **Early career** — Worked as an environmental engineer at ExxonMobil and later spent roughly a decade in sales at IBM.
- **2000s** — Used IBM bonus income to buy single-family rentals, then founded Park Avenue Properties and grew it into a management business serving investor portfolios.
- **2011-2014** — Served as a commissioner in Cornelius, North Carolina.
- **2015-2018** — Served two terms representing District 98 in the North Carolina House.
- **2017** — Founded and launched PetScreening.
- **2020** — Sold Park Avenue Properties to PURE Property Management and won election back to the North Carolina House.
- **2021-2024** — Served two additional North Carolina House terms, for four elected terms in total.
- **2023** — PetScreening ranked No. 123 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and No. 485 on the Inc. 5000.
- **2024** — Named one of Charlotte's Most Admired CEOs by the Charlotte Business Journal.
- **2025** — PetScreening raised an $80 million Series B led by Volition Capital and Guidepost Growth Equity.
- **2025** — PetScreening launched PetComply.ai and later ranked No. 169 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 after 483% three-year growth.
- **2026** — PetScreening released its 2026 State of Pets in Rental Housing report, based on 673 housing professionals.

## Achievements

- Founded PetScreening in 2017 and expanded it to more than 7 million rental units by March 2025.
- Raised an $80 million Series B for PetScreening in 2025.
- Built Park Avenue Properties and sold it to PURE Property Management in 2020.
- Served four elected terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
- Created the concepts behind FidoAlert and TabbyAlert, free text-based lost-pet alert networks.
- Was named one of Charlotte's Most Admired CEOs in 2024.
- Led PetScreening through four consecutive appearances on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 from 2022 through 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — PetScreening released its 2026 State of Pets in Rental Housing report, based on responses from 673 property managers and leasing professionals.
- **2026-01** — Bradford published new PetScreening material on assistance-animal accommodation challenges and rethinking breed and weight restrictions.
- **2025-11** — PetScreening ranked No. 169 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, reporting 483% growth from 2021 through 2024.
- **2025-07** — PetScreening launched PetComply.ai, a tool designed to identify undisclosed pets and automate resident compliance prompts.
- **2025-03** — PetScreening announced an $80 million Series B led by Volition Capital and Guidepost Growth Equity.

## Links

- Website: https://www.petscreening.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-r-bradford-iii-b519184/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JohnRayBradford
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_5oxqjZUvA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnraybradford/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetScreening/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-bradford
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27