Building New Relationships

S. M. Wilson Partners with Von Maur to Build New Missouri Store

By Carrie Bui
For Von Maur, a fashion department store, the opportunity to expand into Missouri meant they needed to find a construction manager/general contractor with the experience to build a high-end store that would allow Von Maur to boost its Midwest presence.

S. M. Wilson & Co. initiated contact with Von Maur prior to the proposal process, in order to establish an early relationship with the client. Similarities between the two companies, such as family ownership and tradition, were emphasized. For example, Von Maur’s current president is a fourth generation Von Maur, and Scott Wilson is the grandson of S. M. Wilson’s founder. “If we don’t establish a good relationship with a new client, we may not have that relationship for long. We are in the relationship business,” said Bradley Barnard, Project Executive for S. M. Wilson.

Von Maur requested an extensive proposal, detailing fees, breakdown of general conditions, information on the project manager, superintendent and estimator, description of pre-construction approach and management approach in regards to schedule and cost controls.  After the proposal and interview process, the family owned retailer chose S. M. Wilson for the project. “We really liked the team that they assembled for the project, and we also liked the experience they had relative to this type of project,” explained Dave Burke, Director of Operations for Von Maur.

The 125,000-square-foot, two-story building in Lake St. Louis, Mo. will be constructed of metal studs with brick, stone, EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System) façade and stone medallions. A second-story bridge will lead to a parking deck and escalators will be placed within the center court clerestory. Von Maur prefers a unique exterior that also complements the existing mall. The retailer creates a signature look for its entryway through a combination of roof height, signage locations, storefront window features and plaques with the store’s brand image. “One of the things that makes Von Maur unique is that they understand construction and have a very good understanding of their product and activity in the marketplace,” said Charles Briegel, Senior Project Architect and Commercial Retail Market Sector Leader for Shive-Hattery Architecture, Engineering Design Services.

Because Von Maur is a new client, S. M. Wilson views this project as a positive opportunity to build a new relationship. “I think it allows us to show a new client the things that we can bring to the table, not just our construction expertise, but our team building,” commented Rob Warner, S. M. Wilson Project Manager.

This project also represents an opportunity to expand the company’s construction portfolio. “We have not constructed a Von Maur before,” said Barnard, “and this building has very high-end finishes. We build a lot of high-end finishes, but not normally on a retail project.”

A positive relationship among the members of a project team add to the success of a project. It enables the team to work together in a spirit of partnership, while focusing on creating the highest quality end product for the owner. “If everybody, the architect, the owner and the contractor, are all working together as a team, it makes it difficult to fail,” said Warner.

Building collaboration between the owner, architect, construction manager/general contractor and subcontractors requires effort on the part of each team member, especially when the team has never worked together. “Everybody’s got to be honest with everybody in order to build a new team,” Warner said.

That honesty, combined with each member’s individual strengths, can be vital to the project’s success. “I think difficulties can occur when there is a breakdown in communication, when there is a lack of trust,” Briegel said. “Having good, experienced people and also a desire for everyone to excel and succeed on a project is very important.”

The Von Maur project team has established regular communication through conference call meetings every two weeks and regular site visits to the project. “It’s the first time for the three of us (working together), but I think the short time the project has been underway has been very good. There’s good communication and there’s a desire for everyone to do well on the project and in particular, make sure Von Maur is well-served,” said Briegel.

When everybody contributes toward a successful finished product, they are also contributing toward an enjoyable construction process. “I want to enjoy the building process and enjoy that process with the owners, the architects and all our subcontractors,” Warner said. “For me, it’s important to set up that relationship where everybody can trust one another. It makes the job go smoother and faster. When you’re having fun, it makes things a lot easier.”