Kadean Hires New Vice President of Business Strategy in St. Louis
Kadean Construction has hired Aaron Retherford as Vice President of Business Strategy for its St. Louis office.
Retherford brings with him more than 12 years of experience in the Construction industry. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Illinois State University.
Retherford will be Kadean’s Executive Leader for execution of Growth and Business Development across all offices and future expansion efforts. He will focus on filling the St. Louis pipeline through existing relationships and developing plans to execute strategic growth initiatives, which include expanding with current clients, as well as pursuing national clients in new markets. Aaron will also work to market and execute on Kadean’s Design-Build and VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) capabilities and will help to build the Kadean brand both locally and nationally.
“Aaron has established himself as a proven leader of growth in our industry. He truly believes, just as we do, that the sky is the limit at Kadean,” said Mike Eveler, Kadean Construction President. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him as part of our executive team for years to come.”
In his role prior to joining Kadean, Retherford was Director of Business Development for Castle Contracting where he cultivated new business opportunities by building genuine relationships, developed and led pursuit strategies, managed sales activity and oversaw marketing and brand initiatives. Retherford has also worked as a preconstruction manager and project engineer/estimator during his career.
Kadean Construction is a rapidly growing, 55-year-old commercial construction company with 57 employees and annual revenue of more than $100 million. Kadean specializes in pre-construction, design-build, construction management and general contracting services at the local, regional and national level in the industrial & manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, commercial and multi-family market segments.
Spiegelglass Construction Welcomes Joe Sneed as Vice President, Construction
Spiegelglass Construction Company announces the addition of Joe Sneed, LEED AP BD+C as Vice President, Construction. Joe brings more than 35 years of construction industry experience in carpentry, project management, estimating and much more.
In this newly created role, Joe will be managing small to medium-sized commercial construction projects including laboratories, restaurants, educational/medical/manufacturing facilities, event/office spaces, cannabis dispensaries, retail shops, churches, temples and more.
“Joe’s unique blend of skills and proven experience will contribute to our company’s ongoing and organic growth,” said Tim Spiegelglass, co-owner, Spiegelglass Construction Company. “We pride ourselves in longstanding relationships with clients, partners and subcontractors and Joe’s commitment to long-term relationships fits right into our culture and philosophy.”
Joe is proudly involved in the St. Louis community, both personally and professionally, and lends his expertise to organizations including U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), American Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE) and many more.
Founded in 1904, Spiegelglass Construction Company is a St. Louis-based general contractor focused exclusively on small and medium-sized commercial construction projects. Learn more at http://www.spiegelglass-gc.com.
September 4, 2020
Akshay Nirbhya joins Wiegmann Associates as Project Engineer
Akshay Nirbhya of Maryland Heights, MO has joined Wiegmann Associates as a project engineer. Nirbhya will be responsible for designing and engineering commercial HVAC systems for various Wiegmann Associates projects.
Nirbhya has a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has three years of experience in the industry, particularly in Building Information Modeling for large scale commercial projects.
Wiegmann Associates is a St. Louis-based mechanical contractor and a national leader in design/build HVAC projects. Since 1995, Wiegmann Associates has engineered and installed innovative, energy-saving and cost-efficient HVAC solutions, refrigeration systems and automation controls for clients in a wide range of industries, including senior living, food and beverage distribution, warehouse, healthcare, commercial and industrial. For more information, visit www.wiegmannassoc.com or call (636) 940-1056.
KAI Engineering Welcomes Barry Timms, CPD as Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection
KAI Engineering is excited to announce the addition of Barry Timms, CPD as Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection.
In his new position, Timms will lead plumbing, industrial and fire protection design for a wide variety of projects, in addition to managing accounts and processes within the Engineering department.
Timms has had a successful career of more than 30 years, having previously worked as Senior Plumbing and Fire Protection Designer for Horner & Shifrin, Inc. in St. Louis, Director of Plumbing at BSW International and Engineering Manager at DynaTen Corp., both in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We are quite enthused about Barry joining the KAI team,” said KAI Managing Partner Brad Simmons, FAIA. “Barry is a veteran plumbing and fire protection design expert who brings a wealth of industry knowledge and proven experience to our engineering practice. His portfolio covers a wide range of markets, projects and geographies. Barry brings a tenacity for product excellence and is a terrific cultural fit at KAI.”
Timms is a Certified Plumbing Designer (CPD) with the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. Notable past projects he has had a significant role in include: Wise County Natatorium in Wise County, Texas; Lincoln Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri; Sun Bank Center in Orlando, Florida and Maritime Plaza in Washington, DC.
He and his wife, Shirley, reside in Webster Groves, Missouri and have 27-year-old twins, Michael and Margaret. When not working, Timms enjoys working on cars and anything related to the garage.
KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.
August 28, 2020
Bob Morton Joins Murray Company as Business Development Manager
Bob Morton has joined Murray Company as a Business Development Manager to lead business expansion efforts across the Midwest. He brings Murray an extensive list of clients and a history of successful growth across the U.S. Bob has spent his career helping executives and teams develop the right strategies for growth. This expertise, along with his entrepreneurial style, has allowed Bob to expand multiple industries and markets, including healthcare, technology, insurance, architecture, and manufacturing. He has held various leadership roles with organizations of varying sizes, both regionally and globally, from start-up to Fortune 500. He has a demonstrated history of driving high performance organizations to deliver double-digit revenue and profit growth in highly competitive markets. He is a past chapter president of the local DBIA (Design-Build Institute of America).
Alton Turner Joins Kwame Building Group as a Project Engineer
Alton Turner has joined Kwame Building Group, Inc. as a Project Engineer. His responsibilities include project budgeting and estimating, contractor and subcontractor communications, site management and responding to RFI’s and submittals for select projects.
Turner is certified as a Certified Technical Professional (CTP). He earned bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Engineering Technology from Elizabeth City State University. He has over three years of undergraduate research experience with the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation and Department of Navy. He also was a member of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program.
ABOUT KWAME BUILDING GROUP
Kwame Building Group, Inc. (KWAME) is one of the nation’s top pure construction management firms, dedicating 100 percent of its resources to project management services. An employee-owned company, KWAME provides estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers. For more information, visit www.kwamebuildinggroup.com or call (314) 862-5344.
Bob Frey Joins Murphy Company as Controls Specialist
Bob Frey has joined Murphy Company as Controls Specialist. The announcement was made by Eric Gottschlich, Vice President – Data Center Services.
As a graduate of South County Technical School and Rankin Technical School, Bob has received certifications in industrial electronics, HVAC, and refrigeration. In addition, he holds three certifications with Tridium, two with Siemens, and one with Novus (PEAC).
Steve Davis Joins Murphy Company as Business Development & Data Center Services
Steve Davis has joined Murphy Company as Business Development – Data Center Services. The announcement was made by Eric Gottschlich, Vice President – Data Center Services.
With more than 30 years industry experience, Mr. Davis has been involved in the planning, design, operations, and support of mission critical facilities. Additionally, his operations experience includes installation services, managed maintenance programs, project management and consulting services.
As a graduate of University of Missouri with a degree in Business Administration, Steve began his career as an entrepreneur and partner/president of St. Louis-based records management company before merging with an international company. He is past president of CompTIA AITP- St. Louis Chapter, formerly Association of IT Professionals, and has spoken on off-site data security and data center infrastructure management to a number of professional organizations.
Mr. Davis is currently a member of the board and Director of Programs and Membership for AFCOM St. Louis Gateway Chapter.
Founded in 1907, Murphy Company is one of the nation’s largest and privately held mechanical contracting firms delivering innovative solutions to the commercial, industrial and institutional markets. Murphy offers process piping, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, design/build, piping fabrication, building automation systems, and 24-hour service emanating from its five locations in St. Louis, Denver, Boulder, Northern Colorado and Southern Colorado. For more information, visit www.murphynet.com.
August 21, 2020
S. M. Wilson Promotes Jordan Sanders To Senior Project Manager
S. M. Wilson & Co. has promoted Jordan Sanders to Senior Project Manager.
Sanders started as an S. M. Wilson Intern in 2010 and has proven to be a valuable asset to the team. He has worked on a variety of projects including Alton Community Unit School District Renovations, Continental Cement Plant, School of Osage R-II School District Heritage Building Addition and Renovation, BJC Campus Renewal Project and Tallgrass Creek Residential Building 1.4 and 1.5. Most recently, he assumed the role of Project Manager for COCA’s facility expansion project.
As Senior Project Manager, Sanders will lead the pre-construction and construction process, managing multi-million dollar projects. His duties include project planning, scheduling, tracking costs and maintaining logs for all project information. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Southeast Missouri State University and is OSHA 30 and ASHE certified.
S. M. Wilson is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm with headquarters in St. Louis. For nearly 100 years, S. M. Wilson has provided a complete range of services and has become one of the leading general construction and construction management firms in the St. Louis area. For more information, visit www.smwilson.com.
August 14, 2020
Lossie Erin Morris Promoted to AAIC Principal
AAIC Inc. proudly announces the promotion of Lossie Erin Morris to Principal. Erin joined AAIC in 2001, in the Construction Administration department and has risen through several management positions, most recently Director of Operations. Erin is the third generation Morris to be named Principal, joining founding partner Charles C. and managing partner Calvin C.
AAIC, founded in 1963, provides Architecture, Master Planning, Project Management, and Construction Management services. As a graduate of Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, Erin has a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
AAIC inc. is a privately held firm offering architectural and planning services in the Midwest market. Founded in 1963, we have built our business on the personalized service and attention of a small firm while also providing the technical expertise and resources of a larger firm.
We believe each project is unique, presenting its own challenges and requiring its own thoughtful solutions. Our comprehensive team of professionals, interior designers, planners and construction managers are fully committed to meeting our clients’ project needs.
Industry Veteran Todd Lesher Joins Payne Family Homes as Vice President
Will Oversee Sales, Marketing, and Design Studio at Leading St. Louis-based Homebuilder
Todd Lesher has joined Payne Family Homes as vice president of sales and marketing. Lesher brings over 20 years of homebuilding experience in both single-family and multifamily residential homebuilding. He has a strong passion for helping individuals and families obtain their dream of homeownership. In his new role, Lesher will be instrumental in spearheading Payne’s sales and marketing strategies, and management of their design studio.
Most recently, Lesher served as area sales manager for national homebuilding giant, DR Horton. Lesher was responsible for all facets of sales and marketing for 20 communities, including 50 employees, in the southern part of the Chicago market.
Prior to DR Horton, Lesher was director of sales at Lexington Homes, a Chicago based homebuilder. Before this, he was an associate sales manager for the Chicago division of Taylor Morrison Home Corp. where he earned the “Certified Sales Coach” award in 2015 and 2016, an award given to only one employee who is a top seller each year. He was also previously a sales representative for 14 years at Ryland Homes (now part of CalAtlantic Homes, a national homebuilder), where he sold more than 500 single-family homes and townhomes in the Chicago area.
Established as one of the Payne family of companies in 2005, Payne Family Homes has quickly risen to be the St. Louis metro region’s second largest homebuilder and was recently named one of the area’s fastest growing companies by the St. Louis Business Journal. For more information, visit paynefamilyhomes.com or call 314-477-1218.
KAI Hires Chris Upton, AIA as Education Practice Leaderat its Dallas-Fort Worth Office
Recent KAI new hire Chris Upton, AIA brings a unique perspective to his position as Education Practice Leader in the firm’s Dallas-Fort Worth office, having previously managed construction for Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Grapevine, Texas.
In his new role, Upton will focus as a practice leader in the educational market and directly lead major projects and programs. He is responsible for comprehensively managing client relationships, driving design delivery and ensuring quality performance and successful business results.
Upton has nearly 20 years of industry experience. Prior to KAI, Upton was Senior Program Construction Manager for Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Grapevine, Texas; Studio Leader for Toll Brothers in Grapevine, Texas and Architectural Project Manager for Parkhill Smith & Cooper in Midland, Texas. He also previously worked briefly for KAI as a Senior Project Manager.
Upton has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Texas Tech University and attended Midland College for Pre-Engineering. He is a Licensed Architect in the states of Colorado, Utah, Washington and Texas.
Upton’s volunteer experience includes Board Member of the West Texas Food Bank for the past 10 years and membership in the Rotary Club of Trophy Club, Texas where he resides with his wife Brandi and their three daughters and son. Upton is also a past Vice President, President and Chapter Director and current member of the West Texas Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.
August 8, 2020
Brinkmann Constructors Hires Chris Bub as Chief Financial Officer
Brinkmann Constructors has hired Chris Bub as Chief Financial Officer. Bub will oversee accounting, finance, information technology and human resources in this newly-defined role and will be the key advisor for Brinkmann’s employee ownership. He is based at the general contractor’s St. Louis headquarters.
Bub joins Brinkmann from Peak Resorts, Inc., where he first served as corporate controller and was later promoted to vice president and chief accounting officer. Prior to Peak Resorts, he spent more than nine years in finance roles with Nortek Global HVAC, as well as with Boeing and Deloitte.
Bub has extensive experience in financial reporting, enterprise systems, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, strategic planning, corporate governance and human resources, and is well versed in driving change within entrepreneurial organizations.
Bub received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Missouri – Columbia and is a licensed CPA. He is a member of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” class of 2019, a former board member of the St. Alban Roe School Board and a coach for multiple youth sports teams.
Brinkmann Constructors is a national employee-owned construction company with a passion for finding innovative opportunities to save clients time and money. Connect at www.brinkmannconstructors.com.
Nick Kniesche Promoted to Market Leader
Nick Kniesche has been promoted to Market Leader. The announcement was made by Conrad Philipp, Vice President – Commercial.
“Nick interned with us in 2015 and 2016, then joined the organization fulltime is 2017. During this time Nick has demonstrated an ability to quickly grasp and then lead our process and procedures, and continuously demonstrated an ability to prepare and plan for virtually any task or assignment.”, said Philipp. “We are confident that Nick has the skill sets, knowledge and work ethic required to ensure our success in this area.”
Kniesche has 5 years in the industry managing successful projects utilizing BIM (Virtual Construction), which has proven to be especially beneficial. He manages projects to ensure they are on time and within budget. As a past member of the Murphy Safety Committee, Nick ensures our field crew has the proper precautions in place and follows our safety program diligently.
For more information, visit www.murphynet.com
Dan Blanton Promoted to Vice President
Dan Blanton has been promoted to Vice President. The announcement was made by Tom Skaggs, Executive Vice President.
Since Joining Murphy in 2017, Dan has been a key contributor to our continuous improvement effort. During this time, he has had direct oversight of the very successful SLU Hospital project, has taken on the day-to-day leadership in our Virtual Construction group, and has demonstrated strong leadership in the overall pre-construction success with the MIZZOU Nextgen project. Most recently, Blanton will now have direct day-to-day oversight in the WUSM NRB project.
“Each and every day, Dan leads with integrity and professionalism while remaining focused on the needs of our customers. These characteristics, along with his support of our “Murphy Way” initiatives, have earned him this promotion and we look forward to his many contributions to the organization in the future.”, said Skaggs.
Murphy Company is the area’s largest mechanical contractor with offices in St. Louis and Denver. For more information, visit www.murphynet.com.